@Chinese Virus not really that old, many people have seen him play, and what speed racer is saying is true, Iverson was fast af, and my God, the dribbling was insane
@Chinese Virus well obviously, looking at kyrie play is an honour, hes probably the best ball handler of all time but back then, no one could dribble the ball like him, man his crossovers were deadly
Chinese Virus he didn’t always carry and everyone now n days carries the ball occasionally doing moves but damn near everytime casually bringing the ball up
@Christopher Simon yes it does. he's 6 foot at best his defenders would be 6'2-6'6 and he had a very physical play style so he'd be going to the rim facing 7 footers who are 50lbs+ heavier than him. he had the odds stacked against him with his size disadvantage but he still averaged crazy numbers
I have a friend in canada, his dad played in the g league for a couple of years in the early 00'. Once, his father faced Iverson in college, and i swear to god, his father is 6'5 and he's brick wall on defense. He said the dude's first step was so fast that you often didnt even have time to react and by the time you realized wether he was faking it or not, he had already passed you. We often dont realize how strong and fast and skilled this players are, we say "oh yes iverson was really fast" but we dont realize what "really fast" by NBA standards means
The man won an mvp as an undersized guard, in an era where hand checking was legal and MVPs were usually big men. That's all you need to know if you're wondering how good AI was actually.
lol, this dude said iverson wasnt good on D, what more can a 5"11 guard do, but to get tons of steals. By the way steals are a huge component of Defense.
The system is really fucked up. They really waited 8 months just to try him as an 18 year old or an adult. They really just love to end people's lives.
Isaac yea it sucks but he wasn't convicted so at least we know justice works in the US. To be fair, really shouldn't be hanging out in places where fights break out
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@@phoenixgamer10gaming18 size wise...no. But instincts, heart, speed...without question. I don't know if he would have been a QB, but as a safety, and kick returner...he was like Ed Reed of the Ravens. He LOVED hitting people
I'm a year older than Iverson. I grew up in the Richmond area, and he was in the Hampton Roads-VA Beach area. We all heard stories and saw highlights about the best football player in the state. His team won the state championship in both sports, and he was named the player of the year in both, so it didn't really matter, or shocked people
Iverson deserves criticism for not taking enough care of his body in the weight room and things of that nature but his teammates can attest that some seasons he was literally too injured to practice. He’s gotta be one of the most consistently battered and bruised players to ever play any sport. The man was literally a warrior.
AI played in an era when if you were a guard going close to the basket you would get hit hard. Larry Bird career ended early because of injuries due to physicality and hard fouls. AI was the same, he got hit so many times in a way guys these days never do and had to get up and just shoot the free throws. That's also a big reason why he was injured (not to say that he was serious about his health, we all know AI was all about talent and grit not practice)
Iverson is P4P GOAT. Nobody at 5'11 could do what he did for one season, let alone as long as he did. He even started the whole 30ppg 10apg culture that Harden, Lebron, Westbrook etc took to new heights. The media shut him down, but notice every single player gives him props. Opinions of the media and fans don't weigh nearly as much as props from your peers.
The man won an mvp as an undersized guard, in an era where hand checking was legal and MVPs were usually big men. That's all you need to know if you're wondering how good AI was actually.
Dude was charisma personalized. And still is. If only he was 2-3 inches higher, no one would be able to stop him. Hell, even undersized he broke countless ankles.
His crossover would have been a travel a decade earlier. He revolutionized the sport. This is why when you watch old basketball they dribble like old ladies, not because they couldn't do amazing stuff or didn't practice handling but simply because anything else was illegal. The best players push boundaries and change rules.
From end to end of the court, Iverson was the fastest NBA player I've ever seen. He used his blinding speed to keep defenders off balance, and leave them behind in the open court. Couple that with his hypnotic handles and 3 pt shot, and he became completely unstoppable as well as a cultural icon of the times.
European NBA fan here. I have been to exactly one NBA game in my life and it was a Knicks-Sixers match-up in 2003. Getting to see Allen Iverson at MSG as a 17yo was something else man, absolutely surreal. I feel lucky because I couldn't pick the game. Later in NY I bought The Answer Reebok gear I am still wearing to this day. Not continuously of course. That would be weird.
Iverson is an anomaly. He was the greatest who never was.... pure heart and talent but a complete rebel. I watched him take over games on nothing but will but I also watched him self destruct. He would definitely be on my all time team for his sheer ability to do the impossible all by himself.
He was prefect... his "flaws" were relatable... but he is so real. And he played SO HARD. It was an honor to watch him... somebody is cutting onions...
Iverson was the first player I looked up to in middle school when I started watching the NBA. Still have his hardwood classic nuggets jersey. Always felt like he is under appreciated when talking about some of the all time greats in the league
I remember the 2001 76ers team. That was a one-man show + a bunch of supporting players that sometimes showed up and sometimes did not. Iverson almost alone led them to the finals, where on paper they got crushed 1-4, but those games where closer than the scoreboard would show, and full with drama too.
I remember being in 2nd grade and everybody tryna be and look like Ai. Especially when people like bow wow and romeo rocking corn rows. Girls loved that shit too
Iverson deserves more then he gets...he introduced street ball and handling to the nba the only tiny guy on the court that will drive on anybody no matter how tall
To watch him in high school was amazing , along with fellow Bruin Tony Rutland shooting 3’s and throwing Allen alley oops all day long . They were making state finals look like a show .
I was lucky enough to see a Georgetown v Villanova Big East game at what was then the brand new arena for the Sixers. How little the crowd knew that the small guy in the gray jersey would light it up for them as a pro.
lol, this dude said iverson wasnt good on D, what more can a 5"11 guard do, but to get tons of steals. By the way steals are a huge component of Defense.
To be fair he got 5 steals by gambling A LOT and was a huge detriment on defense which is why he needed defensive studs around him to win. Basketball defensive stats are a joke. Even blocks aren't the best metric to gauge a players defense. The 2000's were weird, if you didn't score 20 a game you were a washed buster yet pistons won 2 without a "superstar." Not a lot of great stats for basketball especially in the 00's which is one reason I love the game.
I watched every game this man ever played OmG he is amazing no1 plays harder in every game with no team behind you.. This man is untouchable in a league of his own no1 will top him these kids today dont play hard
A.I. is a national treasure. Him dragging that Philly team to the finals and stealing a game from arguably the greatest ( at worst top 3) team of all time. Amazing.
@rayneozier I know that's right! AI came into the league as a kid, and when he left it, he had become THE Bad Ass Baller who changed the NBA, basketball, and pretty much professional sports if ya think about it! 🤷♀️ I watched as he became a man! I have mad respect for Allen. He played with his whole heart and soul, bruised and battered, tore up from the floor up, and gave it his all ... Every. Single. Game. With No Practice! 😂 All while remaining humble. Just by being himself. Confident AF!!! Still to this day, he will give out his praise, always for MJ, and a lot of other guys, but Kobe was always his guy! His #2 guy. Kobe was from PA, but when Bubba Chuck showed up ... he showed out! He embraced Philly, and Philly embraced The Answer 💯 He was happy to Rep for the 76ers He was THE 76ers! All Time Favorite NBA Player 1996 Draft Round 1 First Pick and the list goes on He was so special and exciting to watch. Since my #1 dipped I just can't watch anymore with the same enthusiasm. I'm lucky to have his games and highlights right at my fingertips 😍🤩😜🤪😁 Love my guy AI 🐐
When you are always getting compared to the emerging young stars simply because you started a new template on how a Point Guard is played.. yep, you are a legend
That’s cap if he was 6 4 would he of trained so hard would he prefected his crossover if it ain’t broken don’t fix. Was there a shot iverson couldn’t get up so would it really help him that much
Iverson is my favorite player I ever watched!!Never got sick of watching him play I wanted to be just like him wanted cornrows as a blonde hair white kid he was my basketball idol
For people saying he was a ball-hog, he's top 50 all time NBA/ABA in both career assists, and assist per game. If you think that's a ball-hog, you might want to check your expectations.
AI was a god in my middle school. Such a shame he never got a ring, I really feel like he could have been one of the all-time greats if things had just gone a little bit different for him.
He jumped back and fourth throughout career, but yeah a big part of the reason why he was considered "tiny" because of how he matched up to the SG's that were typically between 6'5 - 6'8 at the time. 6 feet is actually pretty average for PG's.
Iverson had one thing you can see very clearly he was born athletic and through training his whole life his height didn't matter. His jumps are not average they look effortless and the fact that he could do them repeatedly throughout a match yea,he was gifted .
So good he had to play a NBA team, the Refs, and David Stern every night!!! Sad but true!!! He didn’t even get foul calls!!!! The NBA owes that man. The hell they put my guy through!!!!
dude got mugged so many times every night without call from the refs, and was still at a superstar level. Imagine if he got the Lebron or Steph treatment? How much more dominant would he have been?
Dude wasn't good enough to win a ring by himself but he was entertaining af. Can't name one guy on the court today that I would actually want to watch.
you wont get how good he is unless you actaually watch his game. Ppl only know about his speed and crossover, but the reason he was dominant was that he ran full speed offball and on ball, basically breaking the entire defense structure. If basketball kept record of distance run in game like in soccer, he will be number one all time.
What "work ethic"? Bryant had Shaq by his side to cover for him. When Shaq left, the Lakers SUCKED until Pau arrived. When Pau left, guess what? The Lakers sucked again! And it was that way until he retired. He was the most overrated player EVER. Iverson never had a true superstar by his side to help him, like Bryant did. Hell, even Steve Nash has more MVPs than The Rapist.
@@kappalottchris9383 OK, let's say he wasn't a rapist (even though by his own admission, he was); can you say, with numbers in hand, where exactly am I wrong?
Trendsetter is an understatement the league never allowed much fashion other than office style and sports wear. He was hated by referees and the nba head for his style. At his time in the league nobody wore anything unique and was afraid to do so. His the reason nowadays Westbrook can wear those clothes he did now cause AI carved that road too.
He was great to watch and could ball his ass off. He makes my top 10 of favorite players of all time. Anyone that can break my ankles just watching him deserves at least that :D
While MJ is 100% the literal GOAT, AI is and will always be my GOAT. I'll never forget watching the game live when he crossed over Jordan for the first time. My jaw hit the floor and I jumped up and screamed like we just won the chip. Getting to see him his whole career, many times live at the games with my dad as I was born and raised in Philly, are some of my favorite memories in sports in my life. Dude gave everything he had every night. A legend in this town and rightfully so.
@@judahmourneth3211 watch the entire press conference. he said that he was upset. he just found out his best friend died. they were badgering him about practice when he just got done playing a game where he put on yet another show. and if you watch his documentary that was something that gary payton told him that he was too good to practice with the bumbs that were called his teammates. so it wasnt even worth his time. i mean just the fact that a hall of famer alone said that to him would make me do the same
Mr iverson was à big révolution in the nba !! Best hoyas / first point guard that won mvp in à league that was dominate from all the big man !!! For all of that thx allen !support from france bro
Iverson hung out with a bd crowed. His friends got him in lots of trouble. I remember when I worked for a casino in Detroit back in2009 when Iverson was there and they banned him because of the people he hung out with. Not that Iverson was bad but his entourage was always trouble. You think he would have learned this as an adult by what happened to him when he was a kid.
I was in the crowd when Iverson played against my AZ Wildcats. We won having the superior team, but, man, everyone knew we were witnessing greatness. Iverson was like a hurricane breaking ankles and scoring at will. Practice? I guess he didn't need it.
He was my favorite player when I was young. His Answers were the first pair of shoes that I bought, I got a Asian tattoo because of him. Yeah he was a superstar back in the day
He is an ICON. 💯 when I am describing my childhood, AI is in the description. I am from Europe, he was just as cool here, as he was in USA. EVERYONE wanted to b like him.
I think Kobe had the right idea but 6’5 might be a bit too tall. 6’5 and over your play style becomes like a big guard of short small forward. Realistically AI was 5’11 so if he was 6’3-6’4 he could’ve had a westbrook/wall type build and kept his quickness and change of direction speed
Iverson actually preferred football .. that was his passion and he was literally unstoppable in highschool. Mike Vick use to sit in the stands as a young bul and marvel at Iverson playing football. Vick modeled his game from AI. His mother begged him not to go to the NFL , because she thought he was too small , and she also said he was created by God to play Basketball due to his large wing span and hands for such a little guy. He's pound for pound the best basketball player to ever live and that's not even close. He made me fall in love with the game !
