THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 15, 1996 TAG: 9609150167
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL LYON, PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
DATELINE: PHILADELPHIA LENGTH: 91 lines
With quill and inkwell, and even Ben Franklin summoning up memories of other documents of note signed in this town, Allen Iverson, child prodigy, put pen to contract Friday.
The 76ers have purchased such signatures by the carload in their lamentable recent history. In too many cases, what they bought turned out to be not worth the paper it was written on.
Ah, but this kid looks to be the real thing. At last, after all those frauds and flawed draft picks and misanalyzed imports, a keeper.
With fearless drives and deft dishes, with nerveless jump shots and larcenous hands, he is supposed to do for the Sixers what, oh, say, Isiah Thomas did for the Pistons. That is, be a stone killer with an angel's smile.
Those are expectations weighty enough to buckle even the sturdiest high-top. But Iverson, in gray shirt, black sweats and hat and sneaks, shrugged and offered the sort of response that comes from one who has lived far, far beyond his 21 years: ``All my life, I've been in tough situations. I've been dealing with pressure all my life - where I came from, what I've been through.''
He was properly respectful and reserved at his signing ceremony Friday at the new CoreStates Center. No guarantees. No braying. Indeed, he gave the impression of someone who is grateful for the opportunity. And isn't that a quaint notion these days?
The prevailing attitude of many of our mercenaries is that we may kiss assorted portions of their anatomy. Friday, Iverson, who played at Bethel High in Hampton, looked at his new home and said he wanted to kiss the arena floor. The remark was spontaneous. It made him seem appealingly ingenuous.
He also invoked kismet.
``A new building . . . a new team . . . I'm new . . . it's like it's all just meant to be,'' he said.
Well, what is new is that, for the first time in at least a half-dozen years, the 76ers will take some expectations with them when they go to camp. There is a legitimate reason to care about the franchise once again.
The Sixers have Iverson, and they have restocked their roster. The rookie won't be out there alone. There is some measurable talent with him. In 3 1/2 months, the new general manager, Brad Greenberg, has done what appears to be, at first blush, a decent job of shopping, especially considering the limitations of the salary cap.
Don MacLean brings a nice jump shot and a shooter's mentality. Mark Davis and Lucious Harris are versatile and athletic and eager to get a chance. Michael Cage is a center in a power forward's body, and his most productive seasons now are lines in a record book, but he will bring a warrior's approach to the game, plus the rebounding ethic of an honest laborer.
Jerry Stackhouse and Clarence Weatherspoon are now proven commodities. And then there is Derrick Coleman.
``I think we've addressed a lot of gaps,'' Greenberg said. ``The backcourt has a lot of speed and quickness. In Spoon and Cage and D.C. (Coleman) we have good rebounders. The question is whether we can defend around the basket well enough to get those rebounds.''
Translation: The 76ers should hold their own with finesse teams and with running teams; they will be overmatched against bigger, more physical teams.
Iverson said he had worked out - frequently - with his new teammates, and what struck you the most was when he said: ``The big thing for me is to make my teammates want to play with me.''
That suggested that he is aware of the most negative assessment of his game - that he thinks shoot first, pass a distant second. He is determined to disprove it.
He got a six-game exposure to the professional game in a summer pro league, getting a taste of what it will feel like when the big boys begin to bang on him to see if, with his slender frame, he can keep getting up off hardwood for 82 games.
In those six games, Iverson produced more turnovers than assists and cranked up almost two dozen shots a game, which would indicate that the criticism of his style is warranted.
But the new Sixers coach interpreted Iverson's performance from a different perspective.
``He played every game as though his life depended on it,'' Johnny Davis said. ``When he saw the game slipping away, that's when he tried to take it back. I loved that. And here, he's going to have help he didn't have there.''
It seemed significant that when Iverson first spoke and went through the obligatory list of thank-yous Friday, his face took on a light when he mentioned Davis. It seemed obvious that the rookie feels a kinship with his new coach.
``I think he knows I have no hidden agenda,'' Davis said.
Then he smiled and added: ``I think I'm going to enjoy coaching Allen Iverson.''
And for the first time in a long time, it may be enjoyable to watch this team. ILLUSTRATION: ASSOCIATED PRESS photo
With an assist from Philly's most celebrated figure, Allen Iverson
on Friday signed with the 76ers. Looking on was GM Brad Greenberg,
left. by CNB