By By Ed Morrone

In a career where he has already led the NBA in scoring three times, Allen Iverson is simply outdoing himself this season. The superstar guard of the Philadelphia 76ers came into Wednesday night’s game against Milwaukee averaging a career-high 34.2 points per game. He’s also shooting 45 percent from the field, his best mark since he shot 46 percent during the 1997-98 season. Oh, and don’t forget that “The Answer” has somehow found a way to dish out almost eight assists per game as well.

Iverson’s career has certainly had its ups and downs, but most people will think about the latter above all else. Despite averaging eight assists the past season and a half, Iverson is still pegged as a me-first ballhog, a reason why many believe Philly will never win a championship with him. When people aren’t criticizing his sometimes questionable shot selection, they start up the “Allen Iverson is a thug” conversation. You know, all of those tattoos and cornrows and a few run-ins with the law automatically make you a bad person these days. Finally, there are still those cynics that won’t forget Iverson’s notorious “we’re talkin’ about practice!” rant, even though there hasn’t been a problem with his practice attendance for the past three or four seasons.

Once and for all, people should drop the misconceptions about Iverson.

If you look closer, you’ll see a man who plays harder than any athlete in professional sports. Nobody-not even players in football and hockey-takes the beating this guy does night in and night out, which comes with the territory when your six-feet-tall playing a game where the average height is six-foot-six.

He always has some sort of injury nagging him, but it never seems to slow him down. When the Sixers take the court each night, there’s a 99 percent chance that #3 will be out there on the court. Iverson cares about nothing but winning and playing hard every night, something the NBA has lost over the years with players such as Kobe Bryant and Stephon Marbury, who care only about themselves. So why don’t people get it?

Well it’s hard to blame them, because they only see the surface of Iverson. You can see all the ink on his skin, but you can’t see the love he has for the game of basketball. You know the cornrows are there, but have you noticed that nobody in sports plays with more heart than Allen Iverson? Probably not.

But that’s OK, because Iverson has made a career out of being the bad guy. It’s not a label he necessarily wants to have, but it’s also something he embraces.

You think I’m a selfish ballhog? Watch this pass to my teammate. Think I don’t care about my team? Watch me put them on my back every night to do whatever it takes to win.

At 30 years old and in his 10th NBA season, it’s too late for Iverson to change his image. But he has changed his game. After all the scoring titles and accolades he’s received, Iverson has somehow become better now than ever.

While the Sixers may not win it all or even make the playoffs, championship-starved Philadelphia can take comfort in one thing: Allen Iverson is right there with you, outdoing himself once again.