Allen Iverson reveals Michael Jordan gave him the vision to be a basketball player: "I always looked at him like a superhero"
In an interview with GQ magazine, Allen Iverson detailed his admiration for Michael Jordan, talking about how he inspired him to become a basketball player.
Jordan's style resonated with Iverson.
"I learned from Mike," Iverson said. "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."
Both Iverson and Jordan were prolific scorers, with Iverson having four scoring titles and Jordan 10.
Iverson further talked about his emotional connection with Jordan:
"The man was my hero. I remember crying back when the (Detroit) 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, know what I mean? ... He gave me the vision to be a basketball player." (via) GQ
Iverson has previously spoken about Michael Jordan being his biggest inspiration, and also paid homage to the six-time MVP during his Hall of Fame speech.
Allen Iverson's impact on the NBA
Besides being a defiant icon in the NBA, Allen Iverson's game laid the blueprint for smaller scoring guards to progress in the NBA.
Standing at 6-foot and 165 pounds when Iverson was named MVP in 2001, he became the shortest and the lightest MVP ever. The shortest player to win the NBA MVP before him was Bob Cousy, standing at 6-foot-1, who won the second MVP awarded for the 1956-57 season.
Before Iverson, small point guards were often perceived to be pass-first. Be it John Stockton, Damon Stoudamire or even Steve Nash, all undersized point-guards were looked at as passers.
However, Iverson's incredible ability to get to the rim, leveraging his handles, movement and pace, made him more than just the point of attack. Instead of facilitating the offense, Iverson was the primary scorer.
In fact, Allen Iverson used his size to his advantage as he drew fouls in the paint. Between the 1998-99 and the 2005-06 seasons, Iverson was top five in free-throw attempts in the league every season except 2001-02, when he was No. 6, and 2003-04, when he logged just 48 games due to tussles between him and then-76ers coach Chris Ford.
Iverson, however, was the lone superstar on the Philadelphia 76ers and was naturally a high-volume, low-efficiency scorer with incredibly high usage-rates. Iverson led the league in usage-rate five times, including four in a row from 1998-99 to 2001-02.
Allen Iverson's greatness made it possible for rim-running, score-first guards like Derrick Rose, Kyrie Irving and Bradley Beal to become stars.