Allen Iverson idolized Michael Jordan growing up and his admiration for the Chicago Bulls icon certainly hasn’t diminished with time. Iverson posted a picture of Jordan recently on Instagram with a simple but powerful caption.
“Superhero”
Jordan indeed seemed like a superhero to Iverson and so many others who grew up watching him dominate in the NBA. He three-peated twice with the Bulls, first from 1991 to 1993 and then from 1996 to 1998.
Jordan also won five MVPs and a record 10 scoring titles during his storied career. He did things on the court that seemed supernatural at the time and captured the hearts and minds of millions around the world.
Jordan was indeed the one who inspired Iverson to become a basketball player. He wanted to dominate on the court just like his idol and be feared the way he was. While Iverson didn’t quite hit those heights that Jordan did, he ended up having an incredible career of his own.
Iverson was selected with the first pick of the 1996 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers and went on to win an MVP and four scoring titles. Only Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain (seven) won more scoring titles than he did and that’s remarkable when you consider he stood at just 6’0.” That has led to the 48-year-old being regarded as pound-for-pound, the greatest scorer in NBA history.
Iverson would finish his career with impressive averages of 26.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 2.2 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game. He never managed to win a championship (losing once in the NBA Finals in 2001 to the Los Angeles Lakers) but still made an everlasting impact on the game.
LeBron James said Stephen Curry and Iverson are the most influential players he has ever seen and it was hardly a controversial statement. His incredible story also touched the hearts of many, with even Jordan admitting he cried when he watched Iverson’s documentary.
Allen Iverson Believes Michael Jordan Is The GOAT
With how much he adores Jordan, it shouldn’t be much of a surprise whom Iverson considers to be the greatest player ever. While LeBron James has built up quite a case for that title and Kobe Bryant gets some consideration for it, Iverson says Jordan is the GOAT, Bryant is No. 2 and LeBron is No. 3.
“With Kobe, it was so different, he was like, ‘Phil I want the assignment.’ Take Fisher off him, I want the assignment. I’ve never seen anybody competitive like him. When people talk about the best players in the world, I say Mike, and I say Kobe, and then everyone else. LeBron is definitely after that.”
I don’t think there is anything James can do to eclipse Jordan in Iverson’s books either. That’s his idol and will always be the best for him. Iverson having Bryant above LeBron isn’t all that surprising either, as that’s an opinion that seems rather common among former NBA players.