Matt Barnes, a former teammate of Philadelphia 76ers legend Allen Iverson, was embarrassed by the Sixers organization for the statue that Iverson received this week.
The Answer. pic.twitter.com/kA38mCN6xe
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) April 12, 2024
Iverson, one of the most important figures in the franchise’s history, is now immortalized amongst the greats that have played in Philly, but Barnes believes the organization could have done more.
AI deserves better than this trophy @sixers🤦🏾♂️@Matt_Barnes22 pic.twitter.com/W8RkhDwjJ2
— All the Smoke Productions (@allthesmokeprod) April 13, 2024
“I know I might be late to the party, but what the f— did the Philadelphia 76ers just try to do for Allen Iverson?” Barnes said. “I know the whole city of Philadelphia has gotta be embarrassed of that s—. Salute bro – just got the street named after him. He should have a statue bigger than the arena. But that s— y’all just did? That a trophy or a statue? 76ers man, that 76er organization, y’all gotta do better than that, especially for bro. That s— is terrible.”
While Barnes may not be happy with the size of Iverson’s statue, it appears to be very similar to some of the others outside of the Sixers’ practice facility, honoring other legends who played for the franchise.
Allen Iverson joins Sixers royalty with his own statue at the 76ers' practice facility! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/xPRtGkFLEw
— NBA (@NBA) April 12, 2024
Iverson, a Hall of Famer and former league MVP, won four scoring titles in his NBA career.
He was asked to carry a major workload for many of the teams he played on in Philly and led the Sixers to the NBA Finals in the 2000-01 season, but they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. The No. 1 overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, Iverson is an 11-time All-Star and won the Rookie of the Year award in the 1996-97 season with the Sixers.
Iverson seemed very appreciative of the honor, as he spent many of the best years of his NBA career with Philly. The seven-time All-NBA selection also played for the Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies and Detroit Pistons.
"I just want to say all the right things and just want y'all to know how much I appreciate y'all." 🥹 pic.twitter.com/YZJBlb2ouC
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) April 12, 2024
It’s understandable that Barnes wants to see his former teammate honored in a bigger way, but based on some of the other statues of Sixers greats, it appears Iverson’s is on the same level. It’s also always possible that the organization could honor him with more than just with this statue.
Still, there’s no doubt how strongly Barnes feels about Iverson’s impact on the city of Philadelphia, and it’s likely many fans feel the same way.
