Iverson, Nuggets pan for NBA gold

Goal of perfect match is to bring a basketball title to Denver

If Allen Iverson ever needs to be reminded why he's in Denver, a shiny, half-foot-tall hint sits in his locker stall.

It's a miniature replica of the Larry O'Brien Trophy, handed annually to the NBA champion.

"It's motivation," Iverson said. "I got it when I first got here."

That would be Dec. 19, when the Nuggets pulled off the biggest deal of the NBA season. Iverson, figuring he wasn't going to contend for a title any time soon in Philadelphia, didn't mind being dealt and has considered the Nuggets the perfect landing spot.

The feeling is mutual. Those on the Nuggets had heard the stories about Iverson's antics in Philadelphia, but they now wonder if this wily veteran is really the same guy.

Now, about that championship. Iverson, whose 76ers fell in the Finals to the Lakers in 2001, knows that's why he was summoned to Denver.

"I feel like that's why I was brought here, to help us become a better team, to have an impact on this team," the 6-foot guard said. "It's just been a great ride so far. But, to end the story, what better way to do it than to win a championship? That's what my mind is set on."

It won't be easy in his first Nuggets playoff go-round, with his sixth-seeded team in the Western Conference opening against No. 3 San Antonio, the NBA's hottest team after the All-Star break.

But Iverson, 31, has two years remaining on his contract and has said he wants to re-sign with the Nuggets after that.

"I've had fun," Iverson said. "It's been exciting, just being on a team where I can play my game."

For years, many believed Iverson's game mostly was hoisting shots. In 10-plus seasons with the 76ers, he averaged 28.1 points, winning four scoring titles.

But Iverson, who said he wasn't surrounded by much talent with the 76ers and was unfairly pigeonholed, has become content in Denver to step aside and let forward Carmelo Anthony be the big scorer.

After averaging 31.2 points in 15 Philadelphia games, Iverson averaged 24.8 in 50 Denver games for a seasonal mark of 26.3.

"A.I. gets a bad rap for being selfish," Hornets coach Byron Scott said of Iverson, whose Nuggets have won 11 straight games when he gets 10 or more assists. "But he wants to win. That's the bottom line. . . . He felt he had to score more (in Philadelphia), but now he's got a group of guys around him."

Iverson, though, arrived in Denver with plenty of baggage. His time with the 76ers was marred by squabbles with coaches. He didn't always show up on time, and his rant about "practice" remains a favorite highlight on sports stations.

But the only thing bordering on negative for Iverson in his Nuggets tenure has been a $25,000 NBA fine for being critical of referee Steve Javie. Iverson then apologized on three consecutive days.

"My first thought when I think of A.I., all the negative stuff out there, he's the exact opposite," Nuggets coach George Karl said. "I think A.I. has great leadership skills and has been a strong teammate in every way."

During the process before the trade, Karl said some observers believed Iverson would be well served just to get out of Philadelphia, where many negatives had surrounded him. Iverson agrees.

"I made mistakes," he said of his time there. "I did a lot of dumb things. I'm 31 years old (now). I was in Philadelphia 11 years. I did some young, dumb mistakes. I had to grow to be able to get to this point here. I'm a father of four, so I can't set no bad examples for them.

"I'm not the same person I was when I was 21, 22 years old. I'd be foolish if I was doing the same things I was doing then."

Iverson, though, said he doesn't "regret anything" from his 76ers years and has "learned from all the mistakes."

Now he seems content to dispense his wisdom to the Nuggets' many young players.

Iverson has become a mentor to Anthony, 22. With Anthony serving a 15-game suspension for fighting when Iverson arrived - and with Iverson missing eight games because of a sprained right ankle shortly after Anthony returned - it took time to mesh.

But it came together during the homestretch of the season. The Nuggets won 10 of their final 11 games.

"It took about 14 or 15 games for us to get it right," Anthony said. "It finally came this month. It couldn't have come at a better time."

Iverson also has taken under his wing Nuggets guard J.R. Smith, 21. Smith, in his third season, has had growing pains, including squabbles with coaches and serving a 10-game suspension for fighting in the Dec. 16 brawl that also cost Anthony.

"He's talking to me so much about my character and my attitude toward the game," Smith said. "He's just taught me a lot more than I've ever been taught. How to get steals and how to read the offensive player's mind. Just how to get open shots, and another thing, just root for the team when I'm not in there.

"He's totally different from what people perceive him to be. A lot of people think he's a bad guy. He's not that at all. He's a great teacher and just overall a genuine, great person."

Put it all together, and the Nuggets look to be in good shape. Vice president of basketball operations Mark Warkentien said the team has been "heading north" after an adjustment period after the Iverson deal.

The Nuggets have gone north in the standings. Iverson's reputation has gone north.

But what Iverson is concerned with most is trying to get through the rugged West, then claim the NBA title he long has sought.