- Allen Iverson retired without winning an NBA championship
- He only made the NBA Finals once and lost to Shaquille O’Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2001 NBA Finals
- Iverson had Shaq on his all-time starting five
Shaquille O’Neal knows greatness when he sees one, and he humbly acknowledged Allen Iverson as one of the most brilliant players he had ever seen.
Earlier, the former Philadelphia 76ers legend shared an image and a clip of Shaquille O’Neal’s incredible gameplay and cited him and the Los Angeles Lakers as one of the reasons why he didn’t have an NBA championship to his name.
To which, the former Lakers champion had a wholesome response:
“U don’t need one you are one of the greatest and a hall of famer first ballot, no questions asked.”
Iverson and Shaq faced off against each other in the 2001 NBA Finals, and the Sixers went down 4-1. The Sixers won Game 1 with Iverson leading from the front with 48 points, but they went down in the next four games as LA roared back to winning ways.
Shaq was crowned Finals MVP after averaging 33.0 points, 15.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists. Iverson was in a league of his own, notching up 35.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists.
While there’s no doubt that Iverson’s numbers and his scintillating performances rightfully deserved a ring, it’s really heartwarming to see Shaq hold Iverson in high regard.
Allen Iverson Had Shaquille O’Neal In His All-Time Starting Five
Such was the mutual respect and admiration that Allen Iverson had for Shaquille O’Neal’s game that he included him in his all-time starting five.
“Steph Curry, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal,” Iverson said in an earlier interview.
It’s sheer modesty that Iverson didn’t include himself on that list, but during the 2000s, he became an icon and is definitely one of the best players of that decade.
The Answer finished his entertaining, illustrious yet controversial career posting 26.7 points, 6.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.2 steals in 14 seasons shared between the Philadelphia 76ers, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, and the Memphis Grizzlies.
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