Allen Iverson is the only player since the merger to average 40 MPG in the regular season and playoffs

Allen Iverson was one of the greatest bucket-getters to ever play in the NBA. But "The Answer" wasn't just an unstoppable scoring machine; he always left everything on the basketball court.

For his career, Iverson averaged 41.1 minutes per game during the regular season and 45.1 minutes in the postseason. Believe it or not, he is the only player in the post-NBA/ABA merger to average at least 40 minutes per contest in the regular season and playoffs.

A.I. averaged at least 40 minutes per game in 11 out of his first 12 NBA campaigns. The only time he didn't hit that mark was during his second year when he logged in 39.4 minutes per game. The Philadelphia 76ers legend led the NBA in minutes played seven times throughout his career.

Four other guys in Iverson's company

Before Iverson, only four players in the history of the NBA accomplished the same feat. The legendary Wilt Chamberlain averaged 45.8 minutes per game during the regular season and a ridiculous 47.2 minutes per contest during the regular season.

Chamberlain's rival, Bill Russell , averaged 42.3 minutes during the regular season and 45.4 minutes per game in the playoffs. The other two to do it are Elgin Baylor —he averaged 40.01 minutes in the regular season and 41.1 in the postseason—and Oscar Robertson at 42.2 MPG/ 42.7 MPG.

Russell stood 6'9", while Wilt was listed at 7'1". Meanwhile, both Baylor and Robertson were listed as 6'5". On the other hand, Iverson was only six feet tall, making his feat even more impressive. A.I. also didn't take outside shots; he thrived in attacking the basket. Given his size, Allen was the undisputed pound-for-pound best player ever.

A.I. gave the game everything he had

Last year, Iverson talked about playing heavy minutes during his NBA career . Basketball was always his safe haven, so every time he played, the legendary guard always made the most out of it, even if it meant playing every minute of the game. Luckily, he was fortunate to play for coaches who allowed him to do that.

Iverson will always be remembered as the NBA's cultural icon. But more than that, he was a modern-day gladiator. In an era where players managed their minutes due to fears of getting hurt and losing millions of dollars worth of contracts, A.I. was a throwback player who did not care about anything except winning a game. That's what truly made "The Answer" special.

Related: "Everybody was saying we couldn't win because of our size" - When Allen Iverson stood the tallest after the iconic 2001 NBA All-Star Game