Slashing through the lane from all angles, keeping defenders honest with an occasional jumper, and providing pinpoint assists, Iverson led the charge as the Eastern Conference made up a 21-point deficit to beat the West 111-110 Sunday.
The Philadelphia 76ers' guard finished with 25 points, 15 in the final nine minutes, and was selected as most valuable player.
"Everybody was saying we couldn't win because of our size," Iverson said. "It's not about size, it's about the size of your heart."
He accepted the MVP trophy from NBA commissioner David Stern -- who chastised Iverson last fall for lyrics on a rap album offensive to homosexuals and women.
In an obvious reference to that and Iverson's slight build at six-feet, 165 pounds, a grinning Stern told Iverson that great basketball "can be wrapped -- if you pardon the expression -- in very small packages."
Iverson also was fined by the league for yelling a slur at hecklers during a game in Indiana last month.
While his character has been questioned, no one has any problems with Iverson's game.
He led the NBA in scoring two seasons ago, was second last season, and is averaging 29.7 points this season, only 0.2 behind league leader Kobe Bryant.
He was the last player out during the fireworks-sparked pre-game introductions at the MCI Center and he was the one lighting it up at the end to the delight of the crowd.
The East started terribly, down 11-0 by the first TV timeout, and was down by the same margin at halftime.
When Dallas Mavericks forward Michael Finley scored inside with 9:05 left to play, the West was up 95-74.
Given that this was an exhibition game, the outcome certainly did not seem to be in doubt.
Iverson, nicknamed "The Answer" because few situations confound him when it comes to scoring, didn't think so.
He exhorted his teammates during timeouts, and confidently told the people working at the scorer's table that he would lead the East to victory.
Indeed he did, with 15 points the rest of the way, plus three of his team-high five assists.
By producing the way he did, with the outcome on the line, Iverson upstaged such other young stars as Toronto's Vince Carter (16 points, including two rousing first-half dunks, one after a 360-degree turn in the air, the other a windmill slam), and the Lakers' Bryant (West-leading 19 points, but passed up a chance to take the winning shot at the buzzer).
"That's why we call him `The Answer,' " said Hawks centre Dikembe Mutombo, who had 22 rebounds for the East.
"We had so many questions on the bench and he kept responding."
By Howard Fendrich
