Allen Iverson has come up with a wonderful piece for the ‘Players Tribune’, titled ‘Allen’, talking about his life in the NBA and how it all panned out for him.
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But having played against Michael Jordan and witnessing what LeBron is doing on the court(rather has been doing), he too, like every NBA fan, weighed in on the ‘GOAT debate’.
With a lot of the current generation believing that LeBron is better than Jordan, as the league has gotten harder and tougher over the years; Iverson had a very simple answer for them; ‘We’re talking about Mike’.
“I have to weigh in on this GOAT conversation. I have to. I’m hearing a lot of people these days fronting like they have LeBron over Mike,” Iverson wrote.
Iverson had good things to say about LeBron and how he has taken the to the game and everything off the court with his school too, but for Iverson, there is no one greater than Michael Jordan.
“First of all, I love LeBron,” he says in the piece.
“I have nothing but love for LeBron. That’s the best player of his generation, one of the best ever, a great husband, great father, great role model, and it’s even beyond that: What he’s doing with that school in Akron?? It’s a beautiful thing.”
“But y’all. We’re talking about Mike. … We’re talking about Black Jesus himself.” Iverson said.
The present generation can go all on about the stats and the AI, but Iverson wants people to look beyond it, and admire and value the craft that Jordan brought to basketball, and acknowledge his aura around the sport and his colleagues.
“Mike is the GOAT … Mike is always going to be the GOAT. And please don’t even insult me with any of this ‘stats, AI!’ business, like you have a chance of changing my mind.” Iverson said.
He then went down memory lane and came up with a wonderful story for all Jordan fanboys around the world, one which epitomises how cool and great the big man is.
Iverson spoke about the time he tried to pay homage to the great man by sporting a Jordan jersey, but with Iverson being ‘Reebok’ for life, he had to go a little out of his way to do what he had planned for MJ.
“So it’s 2003, and we’re all in The A for his last All-Star Game. And you know I’m Reebok for life … but occasions are occasions. And I’m wanting to pay my tribute to the man. Pay homage. So I find one of those classic MJ throwbacks, then bring it home and cut out the little swoosh on it, and then I rock it — plus a Bulls fitted — on my way into the arena for All Star. And I’m proud as hell. So now I just have to find Mike. …
“Finally I make my way to the coaches’ office. Figure they’d have to know where the man is. Open the door …
“But there’s no coaches in there. It’s just Mike.
“It’s just Mike, and man….. you wouldn’t even believe this. You wouldn’t even believe what I’m seeing. It’s Mike, and he’s got his uniform on …and he’s in one of those reclining desk chairs, leaning back in that thing like he doesn’t have a CARE in the WORLD. In the world. Got his feet kicked up like he’s on some beach! And then to top it all off?? He’s smoking one of those big-ass Mike cigars.
“And he just looks at me — looks over my fit for a second — and he smiles. Nods. And then he goes right on back to puffing that cigar.
“ARE YOU SERIOUS!! Man, I think I’m a cool guy. I’m alright. But Mike is the only person I ever — I mean ever — met who can be so effortless in his cool that he leaves this … GLOW.” he said
This little story of Iverson for Jordan so brilliantly captures the effect of MJ on his rivals and how they were in complete awe of him all through their careers.
LeBron might have better stats with respect to individual performances but with respect to overall impact on the sport(and of course the rings), MJ has to be the greatest of all time
With respect to his best ever starting 5, Allen Iverson picked; Michael Jordan, Shaq, LeBron, Kobe and Curry.
