But Iverson still is considered one of the NBA's elite players, at least in the eyes of fans who voted him in as an All-Star starter for the 10th time.

"Words can't explain how I feel about that," Iverson said. "Fans make us. Without the fans, there wouldn't be an NBA."

And without the fans, Iverson probably would not have been selected by fans and coaches to represent the Eastern Conference in tonight's All-Star game in Phoenix.

His popularity has been evident from the moment the pint-sized scoring machine entered the NBA 13 years ago.

Fans marveled at how Iverson became one of the league's most prolific scorers of this generation, despite his lithe frame and the efforts of opposing teams to stop him.

His scoring prowess already has him ranked among the greatest scorers in NBA history.

He currently has 23,881 points, which ranks No. 16 all-time after recently surpassing Hall of Famer Charles Barkley.

But throughout his career, Iverson has scored points off the court as well.

No matter where he's at, his fans aren't far behind.

At The Palace of Auburn Hills, Iverson usually gets the loudest ovation when the starters are introduced.

Even on the road, when opposing players expect to get booed or jeered during introductions, a warm ovation usually greets him.

Further proof of his staying power is that of the 10 starters in tonight's game, Iverson is the only one who began the season with another team.

"I feel like my fans, they've been loyal fans to me throughout my career," Iverson said. "They enjoy what I do. They respect what I do."

Although the 33-year-old isn't scoring nearly as many points as he used to, teams still view him as a player who can cause major problems on any given night.

No coach knows Iverson as well as Charlotte's Larry Brown, who spent two seasons as the Pistons head coach (2003-2005) after six seasons (1997-2003) in Philadelphia with Iverson.

"There's never been anybody like him," Brown said of his former player.

Although most of Iverson's numbers are below his career averages, Brown doesn't think it's due to a lack of effort by Iverson.

"I think he's trying to do everything they want," Brown said. "It's a little different than he's ever played."

Brown mentioned a Pistons game in which Iverson took 12 shots from the field.

"He would have been killing me if he got 12 shots," Brown said. "I admire what he's trying to do."

So do the more than 1.8 million fans who voted for him.

"That's just a good feeling because you go out, a lot of times you're playing for your team and your fans in your gym, but you're also playing for the fans all over the world, the people that support you," Iverson said. "It's just a good feeling that during All-Star weekend, you might not have the greatest statistics, but your fans want to see you. That's big for me."

While Iverson admits the demands during All-Star weekend can be a bit draining, it's all worth it to him.

"When you're a kid, all you dream about is being in the NBA," he said. "And then, as a kid you always watch the All-Star game and think if you're blessed enough to get an opportunity to play in the NBA, it would be special to make it to the All-Star game. Nobody made it from where I'm from to the NBA. Being able to play in the All-Star game, that's just icing on the cake; another blessing that God gave me."