Written by Adi Joseph at FTW.com
Allen Iverson’s entrance at the BIG3’s first showcase in the city he once called home was full of flashing lights, blaring music and the roars of the fans.
It was all downhill from there.
Iverson, the Philadelphia 76ers legend who has been the face of Ice Cube’s 3-on-3 basketball league, did not play. He coached and signed autographs, but he had announced 25 minutes before the night’s opening tipoff via Instagram that he would not be hitting the court himself.
“To all my fans out there, based on advice from my doctor, I will not be playing in the game tonight for the BIG3,” Iverson said in the Instagram video posted at 5:35 p.m. ET. “I will be there to coach my team and beat Dr. J’s team, I will be interacting with all my fans, and we’ll have a great time and see some great basketball. I love you fans for supporting me all of the years up to date, and I’ll see you when I get there.”
Iverson and the league — which did not announce Iverson’s decision not to play during the three opening games — declined to comment further on his absence from the court, even after the crowd turned on its hero and the league. Boos streamed in and fans streamed out during the game between Iverson’s 3’s Company team and Tri-State, which was the last of the four-game evening and ended at nearly 10 p.m.
Many of the fans nearly filling the lower bowl of the Wells Fargo Center for the 6 p.m. event had no idea Iverson wouldn’t be playing until that game began. In interviewing hard-core Iverson fans, For The Win repeatedly had to be the bearer of bad news. Austin Hendricks and Sarah Pasetsky had driven down to Philadelphia from the Lehigh Valley, about an hour north. Their reaction was common.
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