Allen Iverson made history in the 2001 NBA Finals. It’s not often that we praise the losers of a Finals series, but what LeBron James did against the Golden State Warriors in 2018 and what Allen Iverson did against the Los Angeles Lakers in 2001 are 2 of the best performances by players on the losing team.
The commonality between Iverson and LeBron James is that they had monster games in their losses. The difference is Iverson managed to get at least one win. That win was the only loss the Lakers fell in that entire postseason, going 16-1 in the playoffs after sweeping the Western Conference.
Iverson had 48 points in Game 1 to pull off a shocking upset against the Lakers. In the same game, Iverson stepped over then-Lakers’ player Tyronn Lue. Both Lue and Iverson have spoken about this incident before, but Iverson revealed to Kevin Hart that he felt embarrassed.
“No. I was so embarrassed man. It was terrible, that’s my guy.”
Ty Lue got the last laugh when he lifted the NBA Championship on the Lakers. While he was just a rotational player, he got to leave with a ring on his finger, while Iverson just has the memories of his legendary 48-point performance.
Is Allen Iverson Underrated Or Overrated?
Due to the cultural impact Iverson had, it’s hard to find an objective way of analyzing his career. Many think his off-court impact and iconic highlight compilations have made people remember him as a greater player than he was. Similarly, many that see criticisms feel he’s overly criticized due to his popularity.
What everyone should be able to agree upon is that Iverson was an absolute treat to watch. His 2001 Finals run was legendary, even though his career petered out far sooner than it should have. Nonetheless, Iverson wouldn’t be as impactful as he is if he was overrated. His peers loved him, the fans loved him, and the game of basketball loves him.
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