As the NBA offseason approaches, it’s time to take a look back at NBA history. The Philadelphia 76ers and take a look at some of the moments that defined the franchise at that time.
This edition goes back in time to 2000, when the Sixers nearly sent Allen Iverson out the door. Detroit PistonsThe two teams had reached an agreement because Iverson and coach Larry Brown were often arguing and it seemed like a messy divorce was on the way.
However, the Sixers were saved by their backup center. According to Marc Stein, who was working for ESPN at the time, the deal was in place to send Iverson and backup center Matt Geiger to the Pistons in a four-team deal. Geiger had a no-trade clause in his contract and he backed out of the deal at the last minute to keep them both. Philadelphia.
We’d like to think that Brown and his boss Pat Croce would have ultimately scuppered the deal no matter what, with or without the [Matt] Geiger factor. They were just trying to scare Iverson into complying with his obligations, which he unexpectedly maintained all season, just like with those rumors of a banishment to the Lawnmowers.
Except it was a real deal. In its most famous version: Eddie Jones, Glen Rice, Jerome Williams and Dale Ellis were headed to Philadelphia; Iverson and Geiger were headed to Detroit; Jerry Stackhouse, Christian Laettner and Travis Knight were sent to Charlotte; and Anthony Mason, Toni Kukoc and Todd Fuller were sent to the Charlotte airport. The Los Angeles Lakers.
As Croce himself told ESPN The Magazine’s Tom Friend: “That was a close call, bro, that was a close call.”
Of course, looking back at history, it’s a good thing for the franchise that Geiger said no to his part of the deal. Iverson would go on to win the MVP award in the 2000-01 season and lead the Sixers to the Finals in 2001. The Answer would go on to become one of the best players in franchise history and his No. 3 is hanging at the Wells Fargo Center.
Iverson eventually joined the Pistons late in his career. Denver Nuggets sent him to Detroit early in the 2008-09 season in a deal that sent Chauncey Billups to the Nuggets. Iverson returned to Philadelphia for the 2009–10 season after a brief stint with the Memphis Grizzlies to start this season.
This article was originally published on Sixers Wire: Looking Back at the Sixers Who Almost Sent Allen Iverson to the Pistons in 2000