Basketball

“Allen Iverson could’ve beat me outside, but I would’ve got him in the post”: When Michael Jordan gave props to the Sixers legend’s handles and jump shooting

Tonoy Sengupta
|PublishedApr 13, 2021

"Allen Iverson could've beat me on the perimeter, but I would've got him in the post": When Michael Jordan gave props to the Sixers legend's handles and jump shooting

Michael Jordan admits that Philadelphia 76ers legend Allen Iverson could have beat him in a 1-on-1 game in his prime.

Michael Jordan is known to many as the greatest hooper to ever live. During his career, there weren’t much more intense than His Airness when it came to the game of basketball. Many opposition players even feared him, and actively made sure not to say anything that made him drop 60 on them.

Jordan had total confidence in his own ability. If you asked the player who could ever beat him in a 1 on 1 game, for him to say ‘no one’ would be an expected answer. However, the Chicago Bulls legend admitted that there was one player he did not want a piece of in that kind of matchup.

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Michael Jordan admits he actively avoided facing off against Allen Iverson

Every NBA fan that was old enough to see it, remembers a rookie Allen Iverson’s iconic moment against MJ. A crossover so lethal, it had Michael Jordan stumbling the other way completely before the Answer drilled his jumper.

At the time, the now 6-time NBA champion was still known as one of the best defenders in the NBA. So, for Iverson to humiliate him like that, fans instantly knew, he was going to be special.

And it seems so did Michael Jordan. In an interview in 1997, Jordan had this to sat on the matter.

“I mean, that was a great move… I’m never the type of guy that says; I can’t get shown up. I just try to limit these opportunities. So, I’m not going to try to make it 1-on-1 between Allen Iverson and myself. You never know, if we play 1-on-1 again, I think he could beat me on the perimeter, but I could take him on the post.”

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It takes a lot for Michael Jordan to admit that to the world. But, unfortunately for every NBA fan, that’s a matchup we will never get to see. But, if someone were to build a time machine and it actually happened, we are positive the world would pay good money to see it.

About the author

Tonoy Sengupta

Tonoy Sengupta is a Senior Editor at The SportsRush. Coming from an athletically inclined family, he has been surrounded by sports ever since he was 4 years old. But, while initially pouring all his time into Football (soccer), at 14, Tonoy discovered basketball through the countless highlights of Stephen Curry humiliating players from Curry Land. And just like that, a fiery passion for the game was ignited within Tonoy. And soon after, he decided to become a student of journalism, graduating in 2022, and choosing sports as his area of interest. Today, you can find him spending 99% of his time browsing through every type of content on every team in the NBA, before uncorking everything he has found to the world. In the 1% he isn't doing this, you can find him playing Basketball, Football, Volleyball, or practically any other sport he has had the opportunity to learn.