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Morning Brew: Jennings takes over for Iverson

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By Max Rothman

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

With seemingly temporary curtains to the career of one flashy No. 3, in steps the next.

Allen Iverson recently announced his retirement three games into this season after an unsuccessful signing with the Memphis Grizzlies. It was a rocky situation from the start. Iverson was pinched into the sixth man role off the bench behind the promising backcourt of youngsters O.J. Mayo and Michael Conley. So after 15 years and three games, Iverson’s practice-bashing, ball-hogging, Jordan cross-overing and highlight-racking career has reached a road block.

The former No. 1 draft pick, rookie of the year, 10-time All-Star, Olympian, MVP and four-time winner of the scoring title has amassed an irreversible effect on the league. His tattoo-laden arms and neck, ornately-weaved cornrows and constant exercisal of the first amendment helped usher in an era of the NBA with personality and swagger, for better or for worse.

And oh could that man score.

No one really believes Iverson when he says that his basketball playing days are over. Those speculations are only multiplied after Iverson and his representatives met with the Sixers in Dallas on the team’s road trip Monday. But despite the chances of an Iverson reunion in Philly, the world may never see the same player that used to bounce through defenses and break ankles.

Cue the horns for the young buck: Brandon Jennings.

The world first witnessed his excellence in the McDonalds High School All-American game in a showcase where Jennings gave both an ode to the past with a fade haircut and a glimpse of the future with electric speed and a mean crossover.

After gaining a national spotlight at Oak Hill Academy and then committing to Arizona to play for Lute Olson’s Wildcats, Jennings made yet another crossover — he bypassed college and joined a professional team in Rome before earning NBA eligibility. The unconventional decision looked questionable from the start. Jennings averaged just 5.0 points and 17 minutes per game last season for Lottomatica.

But the humbling decision helped Jennings develop a hard-nosed work ethic that made him more NBA-ready than the rest of his draft class. While they were living the lives of celebrities and held to NCAA practice limits on their respective campuses, Jennings was running endless suicides.

Now Jennings, snubbed until the 10th pick of the first round, the 5th point guard taken overall in the 2009 NBA Draft, is out to prove the doubters wrong.

On Nov. 14th, Jennings torched the Golden State Warriors for 55 points, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the rookie scoring record in his ninth game in the NBA. But Jennings’ performance was a much more unique display compared to the 7-footer’s with the smooth hook shot. After all, Jennings is a 6-foot-1 point guard and listed at 169 pounds.

He is currently averaging 22.3 points per game and 5.5 assists per game as the new face of the Milwaukee Bucks franchise and the frontrunner for this year’s rookie of the year award — the same award that Iverson claimed in the 1996-97 season.

On the same night that Jennings’ childhood idol was meeting to discuss a final run at his career, the young buck was leading his team to a 99-97 victory over Derrick Rose and central division rival Chicago Bulls.

In the thick of the playoff hunt and sitting at 9-7, tied for fifth in the east, general manager John Hammond has found the once-lowly Milwaukee Bucks a golden ticket to ride to relevance.

From Iverson to Jennings — funky haircuts, arms camouflaged in tattoos and a vicious cross-over will always have a place in this league.

— Edited by Tim Burgess

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