Basketball Hall of Fame guard and Philadelphia 76ers legend Allen Iverson named Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Shaquille O’Neal as his top five NBA players of all time.
Iverson was asked that question amid an interview with CBS News’ Maurice Dubois promoting his memoir, “Misunderstood.”
Iverson, of course, played all five of those icons, including four in their prime. During Iverson’s MVP year (2000-01), he notably led the 76ers to the NBA Finals, where they played Kobe and Shaq’s Lakers. L.A. won that series in five games.
AI has also an iconic moment with Jordan via one of the most famous crossovers in league history:
Jordan’s iconic mid-to-late 1990s Bulls teams notably went 6-1 against Iverson’s 76ers.
Iverson and James played against each other 18 times, with AI’s teams going 10-8. James once said on the Mind the Game podcast that Iverson (and Curry) were the most influential players to play the game since he began watching the league.
Iverson’s last NBA season was Curry’s rookie year, so he never competed against the four-time NBA champion in his heyday, but it’s clear he still recognizes the Golden State Warriors guard’s greatness and indelible impact on the game.
The list notably doesn’t include some legends from earlier eras that can find their way to top-five lists, including a trio of big men (Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain) as well as the two players who fronted one of (if not the best) rivalry (Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers in 1980s) in league history in Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.
Still, Iverson produced a great top-five list (and a fantastic starting lineup) here, and he’s obviously a great source considering his own success in the league.
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