NBA Draft: Redrafting the 1996 NBA draft class

With the 2nd overall pick, the Toronto Raptors select Allen Iverson

AI!

The Answer is one of the most iconic players to ever play the game. Regarded by many as pound-for-pound the greatest basketball player ever, Iverson left a lasting legacy on the sport in 14 years playing in the NBA.

After a stellar college career for Georgetown, Iverson was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the first pick of the 1996 NBA draft. He was an instant success, finishing his rookie season with per-game averages of 23.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 2.1 steals and winning the Rookie of the Year award. He won the MVP award for the 2000-01 season, willing the 76ers to the first seed in the Eastern Conference standings and taking a game off the Kobe-Shaq Lakers in the Finals.

Iverson never returned to the biggest stage in the sport after that, but he was voted as an All-Star for 11 straight years from 2000 to 2010. His crossovers, his cornrows hairstyle and his fashion sense paved the way for various players to receive multi-million-dollar endorsement deals after him. Iverson played the final season of his professional career with Turkish club Besiktas before retiring in 2011.

He was voted in as a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2016 along with Yao Ming and Shaquille O'Neal, and his #3 jersey was raised to the rafters by the Sixers in 2014.