It’s very normal for regular people to be star-truck when they met their idols, as it happens more than we like to admit. NBA players aren’t the exception and they always get excited when they meet the people that inspired their careers and made them fight for those dreams at a young age.
During the memorable 2022 All-Star Game, we got the chance to see a lot of legends at Rocket Mortgage Arena in Cleveland, including the GOAT Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and many more. One of the attendees was the 2001 NBA MVP Allen Iverson, considered one of the most talented players of all time.
Not only did he surprise the fans but one of the players that also got selected to the incredible list. The Milwaukee Bucks recently shared a wholesome video of Giannis Antetokounmpo greeting AI, revealing that he started playing basketball because of the retired combo guard.
Antetokounmpo: “Allen Iverson!”
Iverson: “How you doing, Killer?”
Antetokounmpo: “I started playing basketball, because of you.”
Iverson: “My dog.”
Antetokounmpo: “I started playing basketball because of you.”
Iverson: “I appreciate it, baby.”
Antetokounmpo: “I don’t want to bother you. I just wanted to tell you that. I watched your story. I watched your documentary. You said, ‘I play basketball because of MJ.’ I started playing basketball because of you.”
Iverson: “I love it, dog.”
It was a short, but touching conversation between the Greek Freak and the Answer. They share some similarities in their careers, fighting to win on a team that not many believed could win. Giannis proved the doubters wrong last year when he won his first NBA championship.
AI was close to winning, but Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant ruined his plans. Still, he’s one of the best players to ever set foot on an NBA court, and an inspiration for many around the world.
