A superstar excelling on both ends of the floor can greatly benefit a team. Every head coach knows this, and the legendary Larry Brown was certainly no exception.
With this in mind, the Hall of Fame coach aimed to transform his 76ers' star, Allen Iverson , into a dominant two-way player around the turn of the century. While molding the offensive powerhouse A.I. into an equally formidable defender was challenging, Brown was especially pleased when the 'The Answer' made progress in that regard.
"When you depend on Allen to score, to then see him defend like he has makes you proud as a coach. That's a special player," Brown remarked , per SLAM Magazine.
Brown had a vision for A.I.
When Brown took over the Sixers in 1997, Iverson had just completed his ROY-winning campaign. In the 1996-97 season, the 6'0" point guard averaged an impressive 23.5 points and 7.5 assists per game while also racking up 2.1 steals per contest. The honor was especially deserved because of Allen's already stellar offensive play.
Interestingly, during his time at Georgetown in the mid-90s, Iverson's game had actually appeared more well-rounded as he earned back-to-back Big East DPOY awards. However, these defensive abilities didn't seem to translate effectively to the big league initially, which coach Brown aimed to address.
This came during a period when the NBA prided itself on playing defense. The 2003-04 championship-winning Pistons, coached by Larry and considered one of the greatest defensive lineups ever assembled, serve as a prime example of this sentiment.
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The misconception surrounding A.I.'s steals titles
A few years later, in 2001, the then-reigning MVP Iverson won his first steals title, a feat he repeated two more times in his storied 14-year NBA career. By achieving this, 'The Answer' joins the ranks of Chris Paul, Michael Jordan, Alvin Robertson, and Michael Ray Richardson in winning the steals title three times. Everyone in that legendary group made multiple All-Defensive NBA teams, all except Allen.
Some may find it puzzling that a three-time steals leader like A.I. didn't receive recognition for his defensive efforts; however, there lies a misconception. Steals alone don't always indicate a player's defensive abilities, as they can result in him gambling for steals and, meanwhile, leaving his assignment wide open to score. Even though Iverson was indeed great at anticipating passes and possessed quick hands, he never truly became a standout defender, particularly in one-on-one situations.
To sum up, even Iverson himself didn't argue against having some defensive shortcomings. During a 2017 interview , host Colin Cowherd labeled 'The Answer' a "tremendous defensive player" during his playing career. While flashing a mischievous grin, A.I. simply responded with "Defensive?" and then pointed out that defensively, he was merely "good in the passing lanes."
Related: "I don't give a f**k what you have to say" — Inside the tense standoff between Larry Brown and Allen Iverson
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