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Allen Iverson Inducted Into Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

We talkin' 'bout the Hall of Fame.

By Brendan Carducci
Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Former Georgetown star Allen Iverson has been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Iverson, who led the Hoyas to the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 in his two seasons on the Hilltop, will go down as one of the greatest Hoyas of all-time, if not the best.  Below is a video arranging some riveting clips of Iverson at Georgetown:

As a freshman, Iverson lead the Big East in steals, while averaging 20 points and 5 assists per contest. He was named Big East Rookie of the Year and Big East Defensive Player of the Year. Iverson guided the 1994-95 Hoyas to the Sweet 16 where they were stopped by Dean Smith's North Carolina Tar Heels. Some notable North Carolina players at the time were Rasheed Wallace and Jerry Stackhouse.

Iverson's sophomore season was even better than his excellent freshman campaign. He averaged 25 points and 5 assists per game. Georgetown rode Iverson all season long, finishing with a 29-8 record. Those '95-96 Hoyas advanced to the Elite 8, eventually falling short against a stout UMass team led by Marcus Camby. The accolades continued to pour in for Iverson, as he was selected as a First Team All-American and once again the Big East Defensive Player of the Year.

After his sophomore season, Iverson declared for the NBA Draft, becoming the first player to leave Georgetown early under coach John Thompson, Jr.  The Philadelphia 76ers selected Iverson with the first overall pick in the NBA Draft.


Iverson's impact both on and off the court are legendary.  Off the court, Iverson ushered in the NBA's hip-hop era, nearly single-handedly transforming the culture of the NBA.  In addition, his epic "Practice" rant in a press conference has become embedded in our national sports psyche :

On the court, Iverson is one of the most decorated players in recent memory.  His 14-year NBA career included 11 All-Star game appearances, winning an NBA Rookie of the Year Award and winning the NBA Scoring title 4 times. In 2001, Iverson won the NBA Most Valuable Player after leading the 76ers to the NBA Finals alongside former Hoya and fellow Hall of Fame inductee Dikembe Mutombo.

Iverson will enter the Hall of Fame along with Yao Ming, Shaquille O'Neal, and others at a ceremony in Springfield, Massachusetts in September.

Iverson becomes the 5th Hoya to enter the Hall of Fame:

Congrats to The Answer and Hoya Saxa!


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