"Thank God it didn’t happen” - Former Sixers head coach is grateful that the team didn't trade Allen Iverson before the 2001 season
Before the start of the 2000-01 NBA season, then-Philadelphia 76ers coach Larry Brown wanted the Sixers to trade away their superstar guard, Allen Iverson. This came as Brown and Iverson didn’t always see eye-to-eye due to Brown’s questions about Iverson’s maturity.
The Sixers came close to trading Iverson to the Detroit Pistons in a four-team deal; however, it ultimately fell apart and Iverson remained in Philly, who went on to have his most successful season, winning the MVP award and leading the Sixers to the 2001 NBA Finals.
In the new documentary 'Everything But the Chip: the 2001 76ers', which premiered on Wednesday on NBA TV, Brown spoke about Philly almost trading Iverson:
“Over four years, there were some issues that kept building and building. It came to a head before the 2000-01 season.
“When you look at my frustration with Allen, it probably started [on] Day 1. I don’t think he ever really understood the responsibility he had to take his talent to where it should have been.”
However, Brown added that he is happy that the Sixers were unable to trade Iverson:
“Sitting here right now, thank God it didn’t happen".
“Sitting here right now, Thank God it didn’t happen.”
-Former HC Larry Brown on the Sixers almost trading A.I. away before the 2000-01 season https://t.co/0Z8uR671OI
Philly ended up losing the 2001 NBA Finals 4-1 to the LA Lakers. However, most would agree that Iverson did everything he could to carry the Sixers. The star guard averaged 35.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game on 40.7% shooting over five games.
Notably, Philly has yet to even make a conference finals appearance since, making their 2001 playoff run all the more memorable for Sixers fans.
Also read: What do we know about the new Allen Iverson documentary? Taking a closer look
Allen Iverson on the Sixers almost trading him ahead of the 2000-01 NBA season
Allen Iverson also spoke about the Sixers almost trading him in the documentary.
“It was just a difficult time for me. I didn’t want to go anywhere, and I had no control over it,” Iverson said.
“It’s easy for someone to convince you that moving me might be the right thing to do because you want to win so badly. So, even if we gotta give away A.I., that’s when we’ll have our opportunity, a real opportunity to win a championship.
“It was a frustrating time in my life because it was loud. If it had no merit, then I felt like you wouldn’t hear it as much. But then my kids would come home; their classmates were saying, ‘Tell your dad don’t leave,’ and their teachers and my wife had to deal with it when she went out in public.”
Iverson added that he wishes he could have been more mature to avoid the whole ordeal:
“I wish I could have been more mature at that time. But that’s the way God wanted it".
Also read: What happened to Allen Iverson? Where is he now?