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Allen Iverson’s No. 3 will rise into the rafters on a banner placed alongside those honoring the greatest players in 76ers history during a special number retirement ceremony at halftime of Saturday’s game against the Washington Wizards at the Wells Fargo Center.

Iverson will become the eighth player in Sixers franchise history to have his number retired, joining Charles Barkley, Maurice Cheeks, Wilt Chamberlain, Billy Cunningham, Julius Erving, Hal Greer and Bobby Jones. NBA commissioner Adam Silver, Sixers owner Josh Harris and Iverson are expected to address the sold out crowd during the ceremony. Other special guests will include Erving, Moses Malone, Dikembe Mutombo and Theo Ratliff, along with nine-time All-Star Gary Payton and former Sixers president Pat Croce.

All fans in attendance will receive a voucher at the arena entrance that may be redeemed for one of four classic Iverson giveaways, given at random, at one of six stations on the main and mezzanine concourses. Giveaways include the Iverson Celebriduck, Iverson Gumby, “Alien” Iverson doll and Iverson bobblehead.

Iverson, 38, earned 11 consecutive All-Star selections and the 2001 NBA MVP award during his 14-year NBA career, which peaked when the 6-foot, 165-pound guard led Philadelphia to the 2001 NBA Finals, where it lost in five games to the Los Angeles Lakers. He was a seven-time All-NBA selection, a four-time NBA scoring champion, a three-time steals leader, a two-time All-Star Game MVP and the 1997 Rookie of the Year. He also is notorious for his fiery demeanor and various off-the court troubles, including with his family, his finances and a famed rant questioning the importance of practice.

“I don’t regret anything,” Iverson said when officially announcing his retirement before the Sixers’ season opener in October. “If I could take back all the mistakes that I made throughout my career, I would have had a perfect career. I would have missed no shots. I would have made no turnovers. I would have went right instead of going left when I was supposed to, every game. I would have got on [I-76] at 4 o’clock instead of getting on 76 at 5. I can’t take it back. I can’t take anything back. So I don’t regret it.

“It was a blessing for [God] to even get me here, get me to this point so I can retire,” he said. “It was a blessing just to play one NBA basketball game. … But I’ve won scoring titles, MVPs, I’ve done a lot in this league. Being 160 pounds soaking wet, coming from Newport News, Va. I mean, what more can you ask for? And my family is taken care of for the rest of their life. Regrets? I don’t have none.”

Philadelphia selected Iverson out of Georgetown with the No. 1 overall draft pick in 1996, and the diminutive guard played parts of 12 seasons in a Sixers jersey, finishing second on the franchise’s all-time scoring list behind Greer.

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SOURCE: Jason Wolf
USA TODAY