Editor's note: This series of articles originally ran in 2014, when the Sixers retired Allen Iverson's number.
Feb. 1, 2001
It was one of the best NBA All-Star Games in history. (That’s obviously a short list.) The Eastern Conference was down 21 points in the final nine minutes, but it came back to win 111-110. It was the first time the All-Star Game had been decided by one point since 1977.
The reason? Allen Iverson scored 15 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter to lead the East to the victory.
But while the Iverson-led comeback was compelling, it wasn’t nearly as memorable as what happened after Iverson was named MVP. As he held the trophy, Iverson called out for Larry Brown.
“Where’s my coach at?" Iverson asked. “Where’s Coach Brown?”
The hot-and-cold relationship between Iverson and Brown was well-documented. Iverson wasn’t perfect. He made mistakes. Years after his career ended, he admitted as much. But in that moment, as he called out for Brown, you saw that other side of Iverson. The side that was real and raw and emotional. The side that made us smile. The side you wanted to remember.