Allen Iverson’s handles are unmatched in the history of the NBA, while many rate Kyrie Irving and Stephen Curry, AI was the original master of the flashy handles. Pound for pound, possibly the greatest scorer ever, Iverson dominated in an era where bigger players still held sway. He did that for the most part by utilizing his electric speed and mesmerizing handles, and his crossover is considered one of the most lethal in NBA history.
There was a very iconic moment with the Answer and his crossover too when he smoked Michael Jordan with it as a rookie. The GOAT switched on to AI when they were playing against one another in a game, and Iverson gave him a mini-crossover, before hitting him with the full move and draining the shot.
People would generally assume that AI came up with the move himself, that it was just a part of his arsenal as a legendary player. However, even the best had to learn their signature somewhere, and AI’s crossover has an origin story many might not know about.
Allen Iverson Learned His Killer Crossover From Walk-On Player Dean Berry While At Georgetown University
NBA players all come to the league as the best in their towns and their schools, and many are recruited into college. And while growing up, they play with several players who never make it to the pros themselves. But they have something to teach these legends, as a man named Dean Berry proved when he taught AI the crossover that Iverson would make so famous.
“When I was in high school, I used to do the Tim Hardaway crossover. When I went through my legs first, then crossed it over. And when I got to college, a walk-on, guy named Dean Berry, used to do it to me all the time. Just, crossover. It was just vicious and he used to get me with it in practice all the time because I had to guard him.
“So after a while, I stopped being stubborn and just wanted it, just add it to my game. At first, I was kinda hesitant about asking him to teach me because that’d be good for his bragging rights as far as telling people he used to cross me up a lot. But I mean, the move was so vicious, I just had to learn it.”
It’s wild to think that Iverson was routinely getting destroyed by a player that wasn’t even recruited to a point where the great had to ask to learn the move. But humility and desire to learn is what makes the greats who they are, and AI showed that. Dean Berry may not be a well-known name, but he sure has some of the most incredible bragging rights ever.
