"I say Mike, & I say Kobe" - Allen Iverson ranks LeBron James behind Michael Jordan & Kobe Bryant, citing their 'competitiveness'
Allen Iverson was one of the elite scorers at the height of his career in the league. Going up against stars like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, he didn't simply back down from the competition.
Recently, Iverson spoke to Showtime's Rachel Nichols on "Headliners with Rachel Nichols," and mentioned who he considers to be the best players in the world.
Despite only being 6 feet tall, Iverson played as if he was the tallest player on the court through his competitiveness and elite shotmaking ability.
Winning in the NBA is no easy task as each game has its own set of challenges, something the Sixers legend has done consistently throughout his career. With that said, here's what Allen Iverson had to say about his favorite NBA players:
"I've never seen nobody as competitive like him, but Mike," Iverson said. "People talk about favorite players and the best players in the world, you know, I say Mike, and I say Kobe. Then, everybody else."
Iverson commented that Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant are his favorites as he feels their competitive nature was unmatched. He highlighted that only Bryant came close to Jordan's aggressive mindset on the court.
Additionally, he was also asked if Lakers star LeBron James is next on his list following the two NBA legends. Without hesitation, Allen Iverson said that James would follow closely after Jordan and Bryant.
Gilbert Arenas talked about the fear factor of Allen Iverson, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant
Speaking on VladTV, former Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas didn't mince words about how opposing defenders feared guarding Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson.
"It's like having assassins," Arenas said. "Jordan, Kobe, Iverson ... They were the type of guys that maximized pain. What do you fear more? You fear suffering. If you have to die, you would choose something you don't feel ... Versus someone that's sitting there cutting you all day, and you are gonna bleed."
Arenas mentioned that the three scoring guards utilized "pain" against their defenders and the teams that they played with. It was a way to lower the rivals' confidence without any thought of competing or fighting back.
According to Gilbert Arenas, they didn't score many points on the court but simply made opposing teams feel terrified at the time they did it.