In 1996 that all changed. Like a bolt of lightning Allen Iverson and Stephon Marbury exploded onto the scene.Iverson was wrecking Jordan which was great cause he played for the Knicks arch nemesis Bulls and Marbury was straight out of Brooklyn which gave a 12 year old from the same city a dream. Here were two guys who played the game in a way I had yet to notice, crossing people over dropping buckets and assists like they had been here before and before long they were engaged in a battle for the rookie of the year and my favorite player.Iverson came out on top in the ROY race but many people believed and still believe Marbury was more deserving because he carried his team to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, but there was no denying the numbers of Iverson 5 straight 40 point games, making Jordan look ridiculous and even dropping 50 on the Cavs.I decided Iverson won me over but I had to make room for my hometown hero Steph.
Twelve years later the debate almost looks silly especially to someone who hasn't been watching since day 1. While for his entire rookie year Marbury was praised as an unselfish pure point guard who was gonna spend his career setting up his teammates ,Iverson was conversely criticized for being a showboating selfish ballhog.If you can find anyone who in 1997 predicted what's happened since , I'd like to meet him and ask him how my life is going to turn out before it's too late.AI has gone on to win the hearts of millions scoring on any and everyone (27.6 ppg career) leading a weak sixers team to the finals where they handed the juggernaut Lakers their only loss of the 2001 playoffs before being sent packing.Stephon meanwhile has been toiling in his shadow for years hardly even making the playoffs let alone a finals and turning into the selfish player everyone thought Iverson would become.He has appeared in a total of 18 playoff games and has worn out his welcome in every city including apparently his hometown team, the New York Knicks.
Twelve years later they stand on opposite sides of a career crossroad. At 31 Marbury is inactive and awaiting his team to either cut him or trade him so he can hope for a chance at redemption , Iverson supposedly slowing at 33 was traded for the second time in his career to the Detroit Pistons and looks to make a push toward his first championship with a team very similar to the one he took to the finals seven years ago.Many people myself included are baffled by what's become of Marbury, benched in favor of Chris Duhon and Nate Robinson.He's still at worst the second most talented player on the Knicks roster and arguably THE most talented , but somewhere along the line he lost sight of who he was and where he came from. In this respect he could take a lesson from AI who has played everyone of his 832 nba games as if he was gonna die when the buzzer sounded,who gave it all he could for every one of his 34749 minutes and who earned every single one of his 23044 points. After twelve years in the league Iverson has shown minimal signs of slowing down , he can score on anybody and sharing the ball the past 2 seasons with another top five scorer has done nothing to slow him down.Scoring 26 a game while being your teams second option is no easy task.
Allen Iverson is getting another chance , possibly his last at winning a ring,he brings to the table immeasurable toughness and gives the Pistons the stone cold scorer they have lacked over the past three or four years and they're hoping it will put them back in the finals to compete for that ring.Stephon Marbury deserves another chance. He came to camp in great shape , he has kept his mouth shut while being benched and for the first time the game he loved has been taken away from him , so he is unable to take it for granted. He is still one of the quickest and strong point guards in the league and can help the Knicks win, whether he is the best player on the Knicks is debatable but he is their best point guard.Building for the future is great but you play to win the game.Let the man play , let him write his own happy ending to what started out brilliantly but has lost its luster over the years.
Stephon Marbury and Allen Iverson were supposed to be two of the greatest to play the game when it was all said and done.Marbury was gonna lead the league in assists and Iverson was gonna lead the league in scoring and they were gonna lead the NBA into a silver age of point guard play.Sometime in the past 12 years half of that equation got lost, and anyone who knows math will tell you half any equation won't get you an answer.
This is the way it's supposed to end , except they're supposed to be on opposite teams playing each other for a championship.One congratulating the other after a hard fought game 7. AI is gonna get his chance , when is Marbury gonna get his?
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