76ers to build statue of iconic Hall of Famer

A decade after the team retired his iconic No. 3 jersey, Iverson is getting a statue on April 12, when the 76ers play their final night home game of the season against the Orlando Magic. The statue will join other Philadelphia basketball greats on the 76ers Legends Walk at the team's Training Complex in Camden, N.J. 

Iverson will be the tenth and most recent addition to the Legends Walk, joining the nine other players whose jerseys have been retired by the team: Dolph Schayes, Charles Barkley, Wilt Chamberlain, Bobby Jones, Moses Malone, Maurice Cheeks, Hal Greer, Billy Cunningham and Julius Erving. 

"The Answer" won the NBA MVP award in the 2000-01 season, when he led the 76ers to their first NBA Finals appearance in 18 years, and their last one to date. He led the league in scoring four times and in steals three times while playing for the 76ers, and in his career made 11 All-Star teams.

The 76ers started the Legends Walk after their new practice facility opened in 2016, starting with Greer, the first player whose jersey was retired by the team. Iverson will likely be the last statue for a while on the Walk, although Joel Embiid has a strong case for the honors whenever his illustrious career ends.

While this is a great honor for Iverson, it also speaks to how much the Sixers franchise has struggled in the last two decades. There are five "Legends" from Philadelphia's teams of the 1980s, but only two (Barkley and Iverson) who played for Philadelphia in the 1990s.

It's hard to become a legend when you aren't competing for titles — something the 76ers haven't seriously done since 2001, the last time they advanced past the second round of the playoffs. It's a great decision to commission a statue for the iconic Iverson, but what Philly really needs is more players worthy of a sculpture.