Allen Iverson is widely regarded as one of the most skillful offensive maestros in league history. Despite being undersized, the 6-foot guard had one of the deepest and deadliest offensive arsenals ever. However, a humble Iverson kept himself out of his all-time starting 5 when he was asked to pick his favorites recently. In a rather surprising(not) flow of events, Shaquille O’Neal agreed with AI’s all-time starting five.
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Clutch Time recently posted a reel where the Georgetown alum was asked to name his All-Time starting five. Without hesitation, the 2001 NBA MVP named Stephen Curry and Kobe Bryant as his two guards. Subsequently, Iverson picked Michael Jordan and LeBron James for the Small Forward and Power Forward positions, respectively. Finally, AI snubbed the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain to select Shaq at the Center.
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Over the last few years, this specific group of five legends has been a popular selection on such lists. Being himself in the elite group as well, O’Neal didn’t seem to have any problem with the Hall-Of-Famer’s decision. Diesel shared the clip on his story.
Big diesel vibes with Allen Iverson’s All-Time Starting 5 pic.twitter.com/jbN5hJhogX
— What are NBA Celebs Upto? (@NBACelebsUpdate) June 15, 2023
While Shaq didn’t have any problem with this list, his all-time starting five differed a little. Keeping MJ, Kobe, and Bron on the list, the Lakers legend finished off the five with Julius Erving and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The inclusion of Dr. J makes it a pretty unique lineup. However, it’s surprising that the “Superman” didn’t select himself on the team.
AI wanted to be “little Shaq”
At 7-foot-1 and weighing 350+ pounds, the 19-year NBA veteran was quite a force to reckon with. A commanding presence who dominated the paint, several people wanted to be like Shaq. AI was one of the many who aspired to be a “little Shaq” on the basketball court. Back in 2016, in a sit-down interview with ESPN’s Carry Chow, the Philly legend spoke about his admiration for his rival.
Standing at 6 feet, Allen Iverson caused trouble to some of the best defenders in the league. We can only imagine just how unstoppable he would have been with a “little Shaq-like” physicality.
