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SAN ANTONIO VS. LOS ANGELES
PHILADELPHIA VS. MILWAUKEE
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Wednesday, May 30
Iverson shortest player in history to win MVP
Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA Allen Iverson sat in a chair, smiled and
invited his coach to sit in his lap.
With that, Larry Brown jumped into Iverson's arms and embraced
the NBA's Most Valuable Player. It was a moment nobody could've
predicted a year ago.
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Allen Iverson had a spectacular season and absolutely merited the NBA's Most Valuable Player award. He won by an overwhelming margin, and I was pleasantly surprised people felt the same way I do.
Dr. Jack's complete analysis
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Iverson was honored by the league Tuesday after leading the
Philadelphia 76ers to the best record in the East and their best
season in 16 years.
"It's special because of everything I went through last
summer," Iverson said. "I had to look in the mirror and see
things I didn't do right as a person or a player. I promised myself
when I look in the mirror after this season, I'll know I did
everything right."
Iverson got 1,121 points to beat out San Antonio's Tim Duncan
(706 points) and Los Angeles' Shaquille O'Neal, last year's winner,
who had 578 points from the panel of sportswriters and broadcasters
in the United States and Canada.
The award caps an amazing turnaround for Iverson, who was nearly
traded last summer because of his contentious relationship with
Brown.
But Iverson promised to change his ways before training camp
opened and lived up to it, taking over as team captain, playing
unselfishly and becoming a leader on the court.
| | Allen Iverson showed why he was the league's MVP. |
"It's one of the neatest things I've ever seen happen, when you
think of the way he was thought of five years ago and the way this
franchise was perceived and what he's done to put us where we are
and the change in him," Brown said. "He's not only the best
player on the team, he's become a great teammate. I'm like a proud
father watching him develop and the way he plays and to recognize
the heart he has."
At 6 feet and 165 pounds, Iverson is the shortest and lightest
player to win the MVP award. He had 93 first-place votes out of a
possible 124, to 18 for Duncan.
Iverson is the first Sixer to win the award since Moses Malone
in 1982-83, the last year Philadelphia won a championship. Wilt
Chamberlain and Julius Erving also won the award for the Sixers.
Joined by family, friends and several teammates at an afternoon
news conference, Iverson said he wondered if he'd ever reach this
point.
"I didn't know because of all the baggage I came here with,"
Iverson said. "I was 20 years old and people wanted me to be 30. I
had no space for error. But I never stopped and worked on all the
things people said I couldn't do and now I'm the MVP of the league.
It's something I always wanted."
Iverson led the league in scoring for the second time in three
years, with an average of 31.1 points per game; was first in steals
(2.51); and tied for first in minutes (42.0).
He earned MVP honors in the All-Star game after his 25-point
performance led the East back from a 21-point deficit, was NBA
Player of the Month for January and was Player of the Week twice.
Iverson scored 40 or more points 17 times during the regular
season, including a career-high 54 against Cleveland on Jan. 6. He
matched that with a scintillating performance last week in Game 2
of the Eastern Conference semifinals against Toronto.
"He's the same person, but a little more professional," Sixers
guard Aaron McKie said.
Last year, Iverson was the only player other than O'Neal to get
an MVP vote from 121 cast. O'Neal would've been the first unanimous
MVP choice.
"I could hope and pray but I could never picture it
happening," Sixers president Pat Croce said about Iverson's
dramatic turnaround.
Team chairman Ed Snider, who also holds the same title with the
Philadelphia Flyers, compared Iverson to former Flyers star Bobby
Clarke, who is now the hockey team's general manager.
"This guy is probably the most special athlete I've seen since
Bob Clarke," Snider said. "To stand here and talk about his
shortcomings, he's quite a man."
In addition to Iverson, Sixers center Dikembe Mutombo won the
league's Defensive Player of the Year award and McKie won the Sixth
Man of the Year award.
Philadelphia is just the fifth team to get three awards in the
same season. The Sixers would become the first team to win four
awards if Brown gets Coach of the Year.
Before the season began, Iverson had to overcame controversy
surrounding the pending release of his debut rap CD, which contains
lyrics that NBA commissioner David Stern called "coarse, offensive
and anti-social."
He was fined $5,000 by the NBA for shouting a derogatory remark
about gays toward taunting fans in a game on Jan. 28.
"I'm still the same person, but I'm older, I'm wiser and I'm
more mature," Iverson said, adding that he's focusing on winning a
championship.
The Sixers and Toronto Raptors are tied 2-2 heading into
Wednesday night's Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
"I think the student taught the teacher a lot about life and
I'm grateful for that," Brown said. "I'm really grateful for the
opportunity to coach Allen and I never thought I'd say that."
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AUDIO/VIDEO
Allen Iverson is named MVP. RealVideo: 28.8
ESPN's Sal Paolantonio speaks with newly named MVP Allen Iverson. wav: 1016 k RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Being named MVP is nice, but Allen Iverson has his sights set on a championship. wav: 238 k RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Larry Brown believes the MVP trophy is a deserving symbol of Allen Iverson's hard work. wav: 120 k RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
After supplying the lone vote for Allen Iverson last year, CNNSI's Fred Hickman had a lot more people agree with him this year. wav: 1716 k RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Sixer legend Julius Erving credits Allen Iverson's MVP award to his maturation as a player. wav: 789 k RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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