Donovan McNabb, Brian Westbrook, Leonard Weaver, LeSean McCoy, and Todd Herremans were courtside. So was boxer Bernard Hopkins. Reporters from Italy, Japan, China, and Yahoo overflowed the press tables.
A day after watching Atlanta make its peace with fallen hero Michael Vick, it was just plain cool to witness Iverson running out to midcourt and kissing the Sixers logo after being introduced. Say this about him: Iverson knows how to create an unforgettable moment.
"It was a million percent the best," Iverson said. "I had chill bumps running all through my body the whole game. It just felt good to be back. . . . I feel like the fans here appreciate me. They appreciate my effort and how I come to play every night. That's all you want as a basketball player. That was the best part of the night, hearing these people's voices all over again. It's kind of bittersweet, because I wanted to win so bad regardless of whether I played well or not."
Iverson actually looked a little nervous as he warmed up before his first game in more than a month. He didn't have that quick first step that defines his game. We'll know soon whether that's just a result of rust or from being 34 years old with a lot of tread worn off the tires.
"I did the best I could," Iverson said. "My heart said yeah, but my body said no. My legs were weak, my arms were weak. I was telling my teammates, one play where I wanted to drive the baseline - I saw the opening and my heart said yeah, but my legs said no. I couldn't do it."
If he is able to get that explosiveness back - and Iverson said he didn't expect it to take long - the next step will be integrating his game with the rest of the team.
"I see a lot of great things," Iverson said. "I think as I get in better shape, in a basketball rhythm, getting up and down the court, I can help so much more."
