Michael Jordan celebrated his 62nd birthday on Monday and Allen Iverson paid tribute to his idol with a wonderful message on Instagram. Iverson hailed Jordan as the GOAT and credited the Chicago Bulls icon for the world knowing who he is.
“Happy Birthday to the GOAT! The reason why the world knows Allen Iverson is because you gave me the vision. I always wanted to be like you! Thank you!! God bless and I wish you many more to come.”
Iverson has never been shy of admitting his admiration for Jordan. He grew up watching him play and fell in love with his game. That was the case for most kids of Iverson’s generation, as Jordan rose to prominence in the 1980s and then dominated in the 1990s.
Jordan three-peated twice in the 90s, first from 1991 to 1993 and then from 1996 to 1998, to finish his career with six titles. He also won six Finals MVPs, five MVPs, a DPOY, and 10 scoring titles. That resume has led many to proclaim him the greatest ever.
Iverson has stated in the past that Jordan is his GOAT, with Kobe Bryant and LeBron James being second and third respectively on his list. While some have started to believe that James has eclipsed Jordan, he’s unlikely to ever surpass him in Iverson’s eyes.
Allen Iverson Revealed How Michael Jordan Inspired Him To Be A Basketball Player
Iverson mentioned in that post that Jordan is the reason the world knows who he is and he spoke at length about that in an interview with GQ. Iverson revealed he modeled his game after Jordan’s.
“I learned from Mike. I always looked at him like a superhero. That was my guy. The way he wore his wristband, the bald head. I used to like when he had that bald head with the goatee and the brace around his shin, on his calf. The man was my hero. I remember crying back when the Pistons used to beat on him.
“My mom had a TV sitting on a dresser, and I used to sit this close to the TV [puts his hand up to his face], know what I mean? “Back up before you go blind!” That’s how much I loved him. I wanted to be that close to him. He gave me the vision to be a basketball player.”
Iverson was asked to elaborate on that and explained he wanted to be just like Jordan.
“I wanted to be looked at like him. I wanted to be feared like him. I wanted to be popular like him. I wanted to be in game situations like him. I wanted to dominate like him. I wanted to be the guy that walk up in the room and then drain the goddamn room, regardless of who in there.”
Iverson may not have become as great of a player as Jordan but he had a fabulous career of his own. He made 11 All-Star teams and won an MVP to go with four scoring titles. Iverson would end up inspiring an entire generation of hoopers, the same way Jordan did, and is deservedly recognized as an all-time great.
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