“Sixers Should Be Ashamed”: Jamal Crawford and Matt Barnes Lash Out Over Controversial Allen Iverson Statue

The Philadelphia 76ers’ supposedly big gesture for Allen Iverson has fallen too short for some. The Sixers recently included AI’s statue in their ‘Legends Walk’ outside their practice facility in Camden, New Jersey. Notably, the ‘Legends Walk’ includes players from the franchise history who left their mark in the NBA. However, some ex-NBA stars are not entirely happy with the amount of effort the Sixers put into their gesture.

“The Sixers should be ashamed of themselves with the size of that statue!” Jamal Crawford posted on ‘X’. Meanwhile, Matt Barnes also took to his official account on the microblogging site and expressed his disappointment. “I know I might be late to the party, but what the f*ck did the Philadelphia 76ers just try to do for Allen Iverson? I know the whole city of Philadelphia’s gotta be embarrassed of that sh*t,” he said in the video posted on X.

Barnes believes a player like Allen Iverson, who recently had a street named after him, should have a statue bigger than the arena. “But that sh*t y’all just did? That a trophy or a statue? 76ers, man.. 76ers organization, y’all gotta do better than that, especially for bro. That shit is terrible,” he further said in the video.

Kevin Garnett also uploaded an Instagram story expressing his love for the statue but disappointment with its size. “Nah Philly … No No 000000 Philly… love the statue but it’s GOTTA BE WAYYYY BIGGER.. Wayyyyyyyy bigger 100… Cmon Sixers .. Congratulations to AI n his family but that needs to be bigger! That’s just mew 100… @theofficialai3 @sixers… Respect,” read Garnett’s IG story.

However, some have defended the move by the Sixers. “It is in scale with the rest of the statutes (which are not life-size) outside of the practice facility,” former Sixers’ Director of Applied Analytics, Lance ‘Doc’ Pearson, posted in a reply to Jamal. Meanwhile, SonicMuse shamed such people who backed the size of the statue. “I agree. It’s ridiculous, for such an iconic player as AI. Almost makes me cry,” posted another user.

Allen Iverson’s impact as a player

Multiple stars from the NBA community have praised Allen Iverson for both his in-game and beyond-the-court impact on the game. While he was a scoring machine on the field, his hip-hop fashion enthusiasm affected the fashion trend in the NBA. Al even got in trouble with his coaches and officials for it, but he always stayed unfazed. And he was too good at what he did to be snubbed just because of his fashion choices.

Read More: “[Allen] Iverson Was a Moth***kin Headache”: Ex-Warriors Star Gets Real About “The Answer” With Unfiltered Truth

Notably, in terms of average points throughout his career, Iverson stands among the top 10 players in NBA history. He averaged 26.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game throughout his career. An offensive force on the court, he often proved to be difficult to contain. Notably, Mark Jackson had once stated that playing against Al was torture because of the difficulty players faced in guarding him.

With all his skills, the last time the 76ers reached the NBA finals while Allen Iverson was still on the roster in the 2001 season. He also bagged the season MVP that season. Such impact on both the NBA and the 76ers itself explains the fans’ disappointment with Philly. What is your take on the entire issue? Let us know your views in the comments.