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Remembering AI - 5 Reasons why Allen Iverson is immortal

AI was a first-ballot Hall of Famer, getting inducted with Yao Ming and Shaquille O'Neal in 2016
AI was a first-ballot Hall of Famer, getting inducted with Yao Ming and Shaquille O'Neal in 2016

If you were growing up in the 90s and early 2000s and you had any sort of interest in basketball, Iverson is one of those players who you'd always remember. The Answer will always be remembered for being one of the most determined, hard-working and competitive players to ever play the game, and there's so much that he signified with his play on court through the course of his fascinating basketball journey.

Allen Iverson played in the NBA for 14 seasons, and was elected as an All-Star for 11 of them. He has an MVP season to his credit, as well as 3 steals titles in consecutive years from 2000 till 2003. Despite being one of the lightest and shortest to ever play the game, Iverson was a giant of the game and often put all-time greats a whole foot bigger than him to shame.

On his 43rd birthday, we look back at some of the reasons why The Answer belongs to the pantheon of the immortal legends of the game:

#5 He is the inspiration for every undersized player in the league today

2001 NBA Finals - Game 2: Philadelphia 76ers vs. Los Angeles Lakers
2001 NBA Finals - Game 2: Philadelphia 76ers vs. Los Angeles Lakers

I am not exaggerating when I say that Iverson is, pound-for-pound the greatest player in basketball history. He came into the league in 1996, a time when other than Michael Jordan, the league was dominated by superstar big men like The Dream, The Admiral, Diesel, Hoya Destroya and Mount Mutombo.

He is the only player at his size (5'11", 160 pounds) to ever win the MVP award. The next smallest player to win the award is Stephen Curry, who has about 30 pounds and 3-4 inches on him.

In fact, it was watching him dominate and run rings around defenses every single day that inspired the likes of Steph, Kyrie, Chris Paul, Westbrook, Wall and the other elite point guards in the league today, not to mention others like Isaiah Thomas and Nate Robinson.

Also Read: What is Allen Iverson’s net worth now?

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