Allen Iverson

ISTANBUL, Turkey - In Turkey, Allen Iverson has brought basketball to the masses. He has been welcomed by millions, embraced by a star-starved Istanbul as the star-crossed superstar that he once was - and hopes to one day become again. Visions of AI billboards (sipping a Turkish soda, perhaps?) dance in one's imagination. He is the fresh prince of this ancient city. This is reality . . . is it not? Not really. That depiction is distorted. On game night inside BJK Akatlar Arena - home court of Iverson's new team, the Besiktas Cola Turka Black Eagles - the image of Iverson hysteria is pure and true, but the arena seats 3,200 in a city of about 13 million.

ALLEN IVERSON played with a chip on his shoulder the size of Gibraltar. It was his fuel. Sometimes that fuel flooded the engine, but Iverson never backed off a challenge. Maybe it was because of his childhood growing up in Hampton, Va., where he was the man of the house at a too-young age. Maybe it was seeing people from the neighborhood getting killed or going to prison. Maybe it was being imprisoned - wrongly, he believed - and missing out on his senior year of basketball. Or maybe because he was usually the smallest player on the court, feeling he had to prove himself every minute, showing everyone that size doesn't matter.

Of course.

ALLEN IVERSON and Delonte West sharing the same backcourt? It could happen if the Texas Legends get their way. The Legends, the Development League affiliate of the Dallas Mavericks, signed West, who starred at Saint Joseph's, on Friday. Now, according to a report, they are trying to convince Iverson to join the team. ESPN.com, citing sources, reported the Legends are pursuing the 37-year-old Iverson, who hasn't played in the NBA since 2009-10. His last game was Feb. 20, 2010 when he scored 13 points and dished three assists in his final start with the Sixers.

I'VE ALWAYS been a fan of Allen Iverson, unlike the media. We the public seem to hear only the negative stories, but never the small acts of kindness he performs. These stories are just as important to give people more complete pictures of athletes like Mr. Iverson who are continually portrayed as immature hooligans. A few weeks ago in Virginia, a friend of my cousin's was in a horrible car accident. Trying to find her cell phone, she lost control of her car going off an exit ramp and it flipped.

ABOUT BEING picked for the Olympic basketball team, Allen Iverson states, "Anybody in their right mind that's seen me play for seven years, that sees the talent we have out there in this league, knows that if I'm not selected, it wouldn't be fair. " Iverson is already making himself out be a potential victim - again. I've seen him play for seven years. What have I seen? Missed practices. An arrest. A consistent under-40 percent shooter. An assist-to-turnover ratio barely above 1 (for non-basketball fans - that's not good)

Former 76ers guard Allen Iverson is expected to be at Saturday's game at the Wells Fargo Center when the Sixers host the Charlotte Bobcats at 8 p.m. Iverson is scheduled to be introduced on the court before the game, and fans will receive an Iverson bobblehead. Iverson led the Sixers to the 2001 NBA Finals and is one of the franchise's all-time great players. He is the franchise leader in 40-point games (76) and three-pointers (885) and is second behind Hal Greer in points (19,931)

Former 76ers star Allen Iverson has lost his $4.5 million Atlanta mansion to foreclosure, according to TMZ. The gossip website says Iverson allegedly defaulted on a $1.2 million mortgage and tried to prevent an auction but failed. Iverson sold his six-bedroom Gladwyne mansion for $2.6 million in 2010. The Denver Post reported in 2011 that his Colorado home went into foreclosure after he stopped paying the mortgage while owing well over $2 million. The 38-year-old Iverson, who last week declined an offer from the D-League Texas Legends, reportedly has a trust fund worth $32 million that he is prohibited from touching until he turns 55 and draws a $1 million yearly stipend.

Allen Iverson is taking a pass on the D-League. Iverson, the former 76ers star who was the NBA's 2001 most valuable player, has turned down an opportunity to return to basketball with the Dallas Mavericks' Development League affiliate. Iverson posted a series of tweets on Tuesday explaining his decision to decline an offer from Texas Legends co-owner Donnie Nelson to join the team. "I thank Donnie and Dallas for the consideration," Iverson wrote. "And while I think the D-League is a great opportunity, it is not the route for me. " Gary Moore, Iverson's manager, confirmed the decision with the Associated Press.

Less than an hour before the 8 p.m. tip-off, 76ers employees are scurrying around the Wells Fargo Center, hoping this Saturday night will unfold as planned. It is late March, and the team is handing out Allen Iverson bobblehead dolls. Iverson himself is scheduled to attend, a rare public appearance for the 37-year-old former NBA superstar. He will be introduced during a pregame ceremony and then watch the game from Sixers chief executive Adam Aron's suite. But Iverson isn't here yet, and a troubling rumor is passing through the arena's arteries: Iverson has missed his flight.

IT SHOULDN'T be this way. Allen Iverson, the small, scrappy player who always gave his all, now has nothing left. No career. No money. According to a revealing Washington Post article written by Kent Babb, the 11-time All-Star is despondent and broke. At one point in the article, Babb writes: Iverson stood during a divorce proceeding in Atlanta in 2012 and pulled out his pants pockets. "I don't even have money for a cheeseburger," he shouted toward his estranged wife, Tawanna, who then handed him $61. How sad. Iverson began and ended his 14 NBA seasons with the Sixers.

NO TEAM HAS ever captured our hearts the way the 2000-01 Sixers did. Heck, the Daily News ran the Sixers on the front page for 32 straight days. With one superstar and a roster full of role players who would run through a brick wall for coach Larry Brown, the 76ers started the season 10-0, were 42-14 at the All-Star break, 56-26 overall and reached the NBA Finals. And in Game 1 of the Finals, when Allen Iverson defiantly stepped over a fallen Tyronn Lue after hitting a long, step-back two-pointer that capped a 9-0 Sixers run en route to an overtime win, it was enough for us. Winning just the one game, when all the experts were talking a Lakers sweep, was enough.

To commemorate the Sixers' 50th season in Philly, the Daily News is looking back at the franchise's Top 25 defining moments, one moment every Friday through the end of the season. No. 5 is today. Here are the top moments that have appeared, and what's up next: 25. George McGinnis for Bobby Jones trade 24. Harvey Pollack, Super Stat 23. Jerry Stackhouse traded for Theo Ratliff, Aaron McKie 22. Allen Iverson comes home as a Nugget 21. Sixers move into Spectrum 20. Pat Croce takes over and Allen Iverson arrives 19. Doctor J fights Larry Bird 18. Sixers reach playoffs after 8-year drought 17. Hiring of Billy Cunningham 16. Doctor J dunks over Michael Cooper 15. The legendary Dave Zinkoff 14. Andrew Toney: The Boston Strangler 13. Wilt Chamberlain returns to Philly 12. Darryl Dawkins shatters backboards 11. Charles Barkley's 8-year run 10. Doctor J's reverse layup 9. Drafting Allen Iverson 8. Iverson crosses over Michael Jordan 7. Sixers get Moses Malone 6. George McGinnis signs with the Sixers 5. Fitz Dixon purchases the Sixers, then Doctor J 4. Sixers beat Celtics in Game 7 at the Garden 3. Next week: The Year of the Little Guy BOTTOM 13 MOMENTS We wouldn't be the Daily News if we only looked at the bright side of the Sixers' 50 years in Philly.

The man who may be the most popular 76er of the last 25 years made a special appearance at the Wells Fargo Center on Saturday night. There was an Allen Iverson bobblehead giveaway, and the beloved former guard showed up for his night. Iverson appeared on the court for about 30 seconds between the player introductions and opening tipoff. And it was like old times. The crowd gave him a deafening standing ovation. Dressed in a throwback red and gray Phillies jacket and cap, black sunglasses, and large gold chains, he waved to the crowd from center court.

Former 76ers guard Allen Iverson is expected to be at Saturday's game at the Wells Fargo Center when the Sixers host the Charlotte Bobcats at 8 p.m. Iverson is scheduled to be introduced on the court before the game, and fans will receive an Iverson bobblehead. Iverson led the Sixers to the 2001 NBA Finals and is one of the franchise's all-time great players. He is the franchise leader in 40-point games (76) and three-pointers (885) and is second behind Hal Greer in points (19,931)

Philadelphia may have a new claim to shame. A new list titled " 15 Ways Professional Athletes Go Broke " cites four players quite familiar to Philadelphia fans. Three were prominent performers here, and one still is. Though maybe not for long. Two were even teammates. You can probably guess the names chosen by Business Insider's Tony Manfred for Yahoo.com. No. 1 on the list is Allen Iverson , the former all-star guard for the 76ers. "Iverson - who earned $154 million in salary - found out the hard way what happens when you keep living the good life after the paychecks stop rolling in," Manfred says.

ALLEN IVERSON played with a chip on his shoulder the size of Gibraltar. It was his fuel. Sometimes that fuel flooded the engine, but Iverson never backed off a challenge. Maybe it was because of his childhood growing up in Hampton, Va., where he was the man of the house at a too-young age. Maybe it was seeing people from the neighborhood getting killed or going to prison. Maybe it was being imprisoned - wrongly, he believed - and missing out on his senior year of basketball. Or maybe because he was usually the smallest player on the court, feeling he had to prove himself every minute, showing everyone that size doesn't matter.

Former 76ers star Allen Iverson has lost his $4.5 million Atlanta mansion to foreclosure, according to TMZ. The gossip website says Iverson allegedly defaulted on a $1.2 million mortgage and tried to prevent an auction but failed. Iverson sold his six-bedroom Gladwyne mansion for $2.6 million in 2010. The Denver Post reported in 2011 that his Colorado home went into foreclosure after he stopped paying the mortgage while owing well over $2 million. The 38-year-old Iverson, who last week declined an offer from the D-League Texas Legends, reportedly has a trust fund worth $32 million that he is prohibited from touching until he turns 55 and draws a $1 million yearly stipend.

FLYERS owner Ed Snider and his fiancee, Lin Spivak , will host a party to celebrate their wedding Feb. 23 at University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. It's a lovely spot and a sweet museum, although Snider and Spivak's guests will probably be more interested in the party than, say, the Penn Museum's new exhibit featuring an ancient Roman mosaic on loan from a site in Lod, Israel. Snider and Spivak are sprinting down the aisle. The couple, who began dating in March, got engaged in November at a "swanky" Santa Barbara, Calif., restaurant to the sweet sounds of Bruno Mars ' "Marry You," according to SportsInput.com.