| A Pair of Aces Authored by Aaron Archer - August 18, 2006 - 3:07 pm
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Allen and Gilbert couldn’t have been born farther apart in America and it shows in their respective images. Arenas hales from the Bay area in California and is a happy-go-lucky kind of guy. Iverson is from the mean streets of Hampton Roads, Virginia and is one of the most widely known ambassadors of the hip-hop generation. Get them on the court together, however, and you’ll see that their wills to win are equally irresistible. That could possibly be what they most share in common and the greatest reason for their success.
It’s Not the Size of the Dog in the Fight
Iverson got his start with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1996 and has remained with the same team ever since. He played 2 years at Georgetown University and was a #1 overall draft pick. While he started his NBA career as a point guard, the genius of then coach Larry Brown, coupled with the acquisition of Eric Snow, would move Allen off the ball in the strike shortened 1998-99 season. This led to Iverson’s first playoff appearance that same season. Once famous only for his crossover, Iverson was now catapulted into the stratosphere of NBA superstardom. He would come close to winning a championship two years later, but would come up short against a dominant LA Lakers team. Since then the 76ers have endured numerous coaching changes and even more roster changes that have left the team mired in mediocrity.
Through it all, Iverson has remained arguably the most dangerous scorer in the league and certainly one of its toughest players. His tiny frame takes a pounding every night due to his reckless style of play. Allen can only play one way – and that’s all the way. He leaves everything on the court and he’s been rewarded with 7 straight All-Star Game appearances, 2 MVP awards, and an Olympic gold medal over his 10-year career.
Even with his stellar play on the court, Iverson has at times been accused of being a sort of ball-hog, a low percentage shot-jacker that sets a bad example for the children. (It’s always about the kids, isn’t it?) However, when you take into account the fact that Iverson is usually surrounded by role players rather than other stars, one can see why taking the most shots would be a burden he would have to bear.
He’s even been criticized for having poor practice habits, and his own comments have done little to dispel that view. But his impact during games is undeniable. In fact, over the past two seasons he has transitioned back to the point guard position for the good of his team. He is still scoring as much as he ever has but his assists and field goal percentages are higher than they’ve been in years. That certainly is a testament to his maturity and versatility, further cementing his status as one of the game’s elite.
Off the court Iverson has been portrayed as a thug. This is mostly because, unlike Arenas, he likes to dress like one. Aside from a few indiscretions, though, Allen hasn’t been the troublemaker some make him out to be. In fact, it would probably come as a surprise to most to learn that he founded The Crossover Foundation Inc. that hosts celebrity softball games to raise money for charity. Many feel he was unfairly targeted by the NBA’s new dress code, yet he has complied as a professional should. This only proves that you can’t judge a book by its cover and that Iverson is truly an asset to the basketball world.
From Zero to Hero
Gilbert Arenas has taken a slightly different path. He also left college as a sophomore, spending just two seasons at Arizona. Projected as a shooting guard, questions about his size caused him to slip all the way to the second round where he was taken by Golden State with the #31 overall pick in 2001. He languished on the bench until halfway through his rookie season when he was given the chance to start at point guard.
Gilbert took advantage of the opportunity and never looked back. He was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player the following season and was rewarded with an enormous contract to play for the Washington Wizards in the summer of 2003. He played in his first All-Star game during the 2004-05 season and led his team to the second round of the playoffs in the same year. Arenas finished this past season ranked fourth in the NBA in scoring and while he had to leave the team due to a mild injury, is participated in Team USA basketball this summer. Indeed the future looks nothing but bright for the 24-year old phenom.
From Arizona to Golden State to Washington, at each stop Gilbert has worn the number zero and there’s no secret why. When committing to Arizona, some said that zero was the number of minutes that Gilbert would play under coach Lute Olsen. Little did they know that he would average 15.8 points per game over his two collegiate seasons and lead the Wildcats to two NCAA tournament appearances. He has averaged double figures in each of his 5 NBA seasons and, ironically enough, leads the Washington Wizards in minutes per game. A far cry from zero, to say the least.
Supremely versatile, Arenas attacks the rim with ferocity one minute and steps back for a long three-pointer the next.
A self-proclaimed gym rat, Arenas is always working out and working on his game. It seems, though, that most of his work is on the offensive end because his defense leaves much to be desired. He is among the league leaders in steals, but his gambling style has a price in many open shots for his opponent. Still, Gilbert has all the physical tools to be a world-class defender. Not only does his coach have to demand it from him, but Gilbert has to demand it from himself.
Gilbert Arenas also has a reputation for being extremely fan friendly. In addition to always being available and accessible to fans, he makes a point of throwing his game jersey into the stands each night. He also created the Zero 2 Hero Foundation, which promotes the safety and well-being of disadvantaged children. Even his recent run-in with Miami police stemmed from an attempt to help a friend.
Surprisingly, though, his charitable and clean-cut persona has done little to increase his national marketability. With NBA commissioner David Stern now rejecting the hip-hop image that he so recently embraced, one would think that Gilbert Arenas would be someone that the league could use to promote its new image. Of course LeBron James is the current face of the league, but Arenas’ talent and personality belie how far he’s lagging behind in national exposure. Iverson’s widespread popularity gives him a clear edge over Arenas in this aspect of their careers.
The Answer
Iverson has been known for most of his career as “The Answer.” Most past and present NBA superstars have had some kind of nickname. Names like “Air Jordan,” “Sir Charles,” “The Dream,” “The Mailman,” and “Magic” instantly bring to mind some of the greatest players of all time. To name a few present superstars, Paul Pierce is known as “The Truth,” Shawn Marion is “The Matrix,” Chauncey Billups is “Mr. Big Shot,” I call Tony Parker “Pepe Le Pew,” and Kobe Bryant can be referred to simply as “81.” Even Arenas’ own teammate Brendan Haywood is known in some circles as “Mr. Charmin.”
So what’s Gilbert waiting for? Maybe he needs his team to trade for an outspoken superstar who will supply the moniker, like Shaquille O’Neal did by dubbing Dwayne Wade as “Flash.” Instead of waiting for that to happen, let’s just settle this now by calling him “Boy Wonder.”
Surely you’re thinking of the Robin character of comic book fame and I think that fits Gilbert nicely. A young, bright, cheerful character that began as a crime fighter in training. As the comic books progressed, young Robin finally grew up, stopped being a sidekick, and became a super hero unto himself.
We’ve seen the same progression in Arenas. He thrived as part of a backcourt duo with friend Larry Hughes over two seasons in Washington but has now assumed all of the leadership role in the wake of Hughes leaving to play with LeBron “King” James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Now D.C.’s sole basketball superhero, Wizards’ fans have seen Gilbert single-handedly save the day time and again.
The Future
Nickname or no nickname, Gilbert Arenas is a great NBA player who perhaps owes his success to Allen Iverson. Iverson’s ability to dominate games as a diminutive off the ball player has opened the eyes of many in the NBA to the possibilities of using point guard sized players for their scoring ability. With the traditional pass-first point guard seemingly going the way of the dodo, this new wave of scoring point guards can look to Iverson as one of the game’s modern trailblazers.
And now that Allen is approaching the inevitable decline that all players must face, it’s up to Gilbert Arenas and the next generation of NBA stars to carry the torch. Gilbert has shown that, much like Iverson, he is up for any and every challenge that comes his way so he’ll be ready when the spotlights are focused squarely on him. He’ll have to share the limelight for now, though, at least as long as The Answer has something to say about it.
Aaron “LyricalRico” Archer can be reached at lyricalrico2k1@hotmail.com with any comments or questions.
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