Allen Iverson comes under the list of most influential players in NBA history. In the initial days being a 6’0″ and 165 pound, Iverson had to spend a major part of his career as an undersized guard.
But later on, he had a career average of 26.7 points, 6.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds, 2.2 steals, and 1.2 threes. He also got many awards like:
. NBA Most Valuable Player Award(2001)
. All NBA Team(1999,2001,2005)
. NBA Rookie of the Year Award(1997)
. NBA All-Rookie Team(1997)
. BET Award for Sportsman of the Year(2001)
Allen Iverson crossing Michael Jordan
Both Allen Iverson and Michael Jordan might not forget what happened on March 12, 1997. Iverson was just a 21-year-old rookie at that time, but as soon as he crossed over Michael Jordan he came to the highlight.
Some years later, talking about this crossover, Iverson said:
I heard Phil Jackson call (Jordan) out. He called him out on the switch. Come here, man. Now I’ma try my move on the best person that I’ve ever seen play the game. Now I’ma see if this move is real. And now I’m like, ‘Oh (expletive)’, and the craziest part is I didn’t know what I did until ESPN and ‘errbody else talking about it. I hit him with that thang
Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson Head-to-Head
They both played against each other 13 times. Michael has a 7-6 winning record over Iverson. Michael had an average of just 23.5 points, while Iverson averaged 29.8 points in those 13 matches, Overall stats reveal that Jordan was a better scorer, though.
Michael Jordan the GOAT because of Iverson?
In one of the episodes of the ESPN show “First Take,” Max Kellerman said that Allen Iverson would have been the GOAT if he had the same height as that Jordan. His exact statement was :
You know why Michael Jordan’s the GOAT? ’cause AI [Allen Iverson] wasn’t 6’6′ [6-foot-6]. If AI was 6’6′, he would have been the greatest player of all time,” Kellerman said during Tuesday’s First Take edition
Max also stated that Iverson would have been a better footballer than a basketball player.
.@maxkellerman doesn't doubt that Allen Iverson would've been better in football than basketball.
"AI's one of the greatest athletes of all time. His name doesn't come up enough in great athlete conversations." pic.twitter.com/WJLn8BxpOM
— First Take (@FirstTake) August 24, 2021
Allen Iverson: Underrated?
Due to iconic highlights, people still remember Iverson as an impactful player and he was a treat to the eye. His 2001 Finals was the most legendary part of his career. He was like a giant on the court with a fearless mind. His gameplay was definitely attractive, and he registered a lot of memorable moments in his career.
