I mean a lot....
to score the ball. But he was only effective if he had the green light to shoot every time. Except for that one year where Larry Brown got him to play some degree of team ball and the 76ers got to the finals, no team could win with Iverson.
And his practice habits were locker room poison. Still, I can remember him taking it to the hoop against Shaq and dunking. But the hell with basketball. The guy earned over $200 million by now is in debt. And he has no talent or earning ability but BB. A sad story.
Not that he is Oscar Robertson, but he tended to over control the game with his scoring. For my money Nate Archibald was probably the best little man scoring the ball followed by Richard Kirkland in the Rucker League. After all Archie is still the only player to lead the league in Assist and Points in the same year. Not to mention he eventually won a championship with the Celtics. The only thing Bubba did better was dunk and steal outside of that Archie is by far the better floor general.
difference in my view - when he led the league in scoring and assists, this was a time when defense was just an afterthought. In the 60s and 70s there was precious little double teaming. Wilt scoring 100 points in a game? Well obviously they never double teamed him. Kareem likewise would not have scored nearly much in todays double teaming environment. You can't shoot a sky hook when a guard is dropping back fronting you. That's why no one else had really bothered to develop that shot - too easily to stop with a double team.
Iverson played in an era where zone defenses were allowed and teams would double him on penetration moves bc they knew he wouldn't pass. Plus the league became much more physical post 1980. Also not to quibble but NBA.com lists archibald at 6.1; Iverson is listed at 6.0 but most observers peg him at 5-11.
Not for nothing but the players then had more true basketball skills and could do more than some if not most of the player to day and had more of a variety of ways in which they could score and certainly could kill you in more ways than one. Today there are more players who would be more one demensional than players of yesteryear who could kill you in a variety of ways. Also they understood the art form of how to execute and being effective as rebounders, passers and shot blockers. They understood the nuances of how to position themselves and the fundamentals of the game and their particular positions. That is why Kareem is such a favorite because his scoring set up his passing which was a facet that he was extremely underated. Not to mention his teammates were extremely dangerous and would kill you from 20 feet or with an extra pass in the interior. The reason with Iverson that you tend to like is that he had to do it because the players weren't as functional and they really don't get a chance to develop because it is all about a dollar. Keep in mind to develop a career the second and the third contract is where you really start to cash in after you establish yourself as a player.