The Top 50

#15 - Allen Iverson

It's nothing short of a miracle that AI's survived long enough to see his name on this list. Let's ignore the fact that he's one of the league's most prolific scorers ever and focus on the simple reality that he's generously listed at six feet and has taken more abuse over the past decade than any player who never released an album called Shaq Fu. Night after night, for years, he's dominated the game as a dwarf amongst giants; and the past couple of seasons, against all conventional wisdom, has shown no signs of aging. Last season was a disappointment in Denver, but AI's 26/7/2 steals (and the fewest turnovers of his career) were nothing for the 32 year-old to be ashamed of. It's a miracle that he's still playing; that he's still playing this well is beyond adjectives.

There isn't much to say about Iverson's nastiness that hasn't already been beaten to death. He's World-class is so many regards, from his retarded handle to his dizzying quickness with the ball and on D, and ability to finish amidst much larger bodies. One of the few players who can destroy an opposing team by himself, Iverson sits third in career scoring average behind two dudes named Wilt and Michael. When you remember that he's 6 feet tall, he could be called the greatest scorer ever.

At this point though, you've gotta question his ability to lead a winning team. Iverson, (who dropped the gem "how the hell can I make my teammates better by going to practice?" at the end of his infamous "Practice" rant) has gone through almost as many wingmen as injuries. Carmelo Anthony, Keith Van Horn (during his brief stint as a legit NBA starter), Derrick Coleman, Jerry Stackhouse and Chris Webber have all failed in attempts to play second-fiddle alongside AI. The '01 squad he somehow dragged to the Finals was a rounded team whose second-best player was Dikembe, and AI's heroics were only thing preventing some broom action in that series. The rest of his career's been plagued by early exits and lottery visits, a fate he's almost certain to repeat in Denver this season. As insane as his career's been, he's never been called a winner, and with each passing season his body will take more of a pounding and he'll (probably) slow down soon. 

He's currently committed to a franchise that's salary-cap shackled and dumping talent for nothing to get under it, and far from a lock for the playoff next year. As many incredible things as he's done in his career, if he can lead this wayward Nuggets team to a title before Father Time finally catches up on D, it might top them all.