Sixers Retire the Famed Number Three
Great careers are followed with great retirements. Great retirements are followed with great ceremonies. Great ceremonies are followed with great memories. These memories are not just remembered by the fans, they are also remembered by the coaches and players who were associated with these individuals.
In the Sixers Saturday night home game against the Washington Wizards, Allen Iverson’s jersey number, 3, was retired at halftime. During the ceremony, Iverson was embraced by teammates, both past and present, and a banner bearing his name and number was raised and hung from the rafters of the Wells Fargo Center.
For twelve seasons, the native of Hampton, Va. was a star guard for the team. During his tenure with the Sixers, Iverson exploded onto the scene as NBA Rookie of the Year in 1997. He went on to start 717 games and tally 19, 931 points. He also led Philadelphia to an appearance in the NBA Finals in 2001 and was nominated to the NBA All-Star Game nine times.
Number “3” was voted as the Most Valuable Player in two All-Star Games as well as the league’s Most Valuable Player in 2001. Iverson was also a three time First Team selection and a four time NBA scoring champion. He played for three other teams during his NBA career, but his Philadelphia career stands out the most and he will be forever treasured by Sixers fans.
