Allen Iverson vividly recollected the first time he faced Michael Jordan on the court, and it was an unforgettable experience.
And he narrated that experience in style during his Hall of Fame speech in 2016. Throughout his time on the podium, Iverson enthralled the audience with his story, and one of them was his first impression of the Chicago Bulls legend.
“Man, I wanted to be like Mike,” said Iverson. “I remember the first time I played against him. I walked out on the court and I looked at him. And, for the first time in my life, a human being didn’t really look real to me. You know what I mean?”
“I don’t know if you all watch the Chappelle Show, but he talked about a certain incident where somebody’s seeing Rick James. Like I literally saw his aura. It looked like he was glowing. I’m sitting there and I’m saying, ‘Man, that’s Michael. And I’m looking at him. I can’t stop looking at him. I’m looking at his shoes and I’m like, man, he’s got on the Jordans! It was my Mike. It was my idol, my hero.”
There’s no doubt that the Sixers superstar had love and respect for Jordan, and his emotions could be felt when he delivered his brilliant 31-minute speech.
[Starts 11:07 onwards]
Well before Iverson went on to become a Sixers icon, he had to make his footing in the NBA, and he did just that when he went up against MJ, who was in the middle of his second three-peat.
But before he did end up locked in, Iverson had one memorable experience, and his joy could be felt when he explained it during his enshrinement speech.
Allen Iverson’s Famed Crossover On Michael Jordan Put Him On The Map
He may have felt surreal, watching MJ in the flesh, but Iverson snapped back to reality quickly, and he made his point as the one to watch out for in the NBA with his iconic crossover on Jordan.
During a 76ers-Bulls game in 1997, Iverson went against Jordan one-on-one. He dribbled the ball a couple of times, biding for time. He then crossed over Jordan before making a mid-range, sending the crowd in the arena into a frenzy. And in typical AI fashion, he had a solid line to say after the game.
“That’s when I was a puppy, and I was playing against the greatest to ever play the game,” he said. “I was gonna start out with that one because I was gonna introduce myself to the world and let them know that — obviously, No. 23 was on the court, but after that game, he was gonna know who No. 3 was. So, that’s when I was a puppy before I turned into a Great Dane.”
Safe to say, MJ would not have been pleased to have been undone by a young gun, but he does have his respect for Iverson for his guts and style of play.
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