"You know it was against Black Jesus… I was like, ‘Oh, yeah, you know I really did something’" - Allen Iverson on his iconic crossover on Michael Jordan
Allen Iverson made the legendary Michael Jordan take notice of him, right from his rookie year in the league. Iverson was the first pick of the 1996 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, the franchise where he spent a major part of his career. He was a gifted guard who had both explosiveness and finesse with the ball – putting the NBA on notice.
On “The Dan Patrick Show,” Allen Iverson discussed his career. Iverson was particularly reminiscent of his interactions with Michael Jordan – the man who he believes helped him develop a vision to play professional basketball.
Patrick reminded Iverson about the famous double-crossover he pulled on Jordan in his rookie year, asking him how it felt. Iverson opened up about how he didn’t realize how big the moment was, saying:
“It was against Black Jesus, and I always told my friends growing up, 'You know, that if I ever got an opportunity to try my move on the best that ever played the game, that I would. You know in the moment it just happened, and I backed him up and did it.
“I really didn’t know the significance of it when it first happened, because I was just into the game, playing the game. But then, in the aftermath of everything and seeing it all on ESPN, and, you know – all on the news and everybody talk about it – I was like, 'Oh, yeah, you know, I really did something.”
Iverson finished with a game-high 37 points, shooting an efficient 65.2%. Jordan, on the other hand, racked up 23 points on a poor shooting night – but the Chicago Bulls ended up with a 108-104 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Allen Iverson idolized Michael Jordan, says Jordan was a big inspiration for him
By the time Allen Iverson entered the league, Michael Jordan had already won four championships – including a three-peat between 1990-1993. Like many others around the NBA, Iverson was inspired by the way Jordan played and strived to chart out a unique path for himself.
In the interview with Dan Patrick, Iverson shared other interactions with Jordan – highlighting the time he met Jordan courtside at a Charlotte Hornets game. While Iverson took the moment to thank Jordan for the impact he had on his career, Jordan joked about the crossover in 1997:
“You don’t love me that much; you wouldn’t cross me like that.”
Iverson went on to dish out praise towards Jordan that is pretty common to hear about the six-time NBA champion, saying:
“He’s the only person in my life that I’ve ever met and he don’t look human to me.”
Iverson earned the Rookie of The Year award, which he followed up with a regular-season MVP award and two All-Star MVP awards. The only thing lacking in his achievements is the title – and the closest he was to that possibility was in the 2001 NBA Finals, against the LA Lakers.