Allen Iverson and Stephon Marbury had a memorable tussle during their NCAA days. On November 22, 1995, Iverson’s Georgetown prevailed over Marbury’s Georgia Tech 94-72 at Madison Square Garden. While the game was lopsided, the duel between Iverson and Marbury overshadowed the final result.
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Both nifty guards put on a show with their killer speed, sleek passes, otherworldly handles, and terrific finishes over much taller defenders.
On that note, Kevin Garnett, who spent more than two seasons with Marbury during his Minnesota Timberwolves stint, shared highlights of the duel on his Instagram account.
In the hard-hitting clip, Iverson can be seen showcasing his isolation dominance. On the other hand, Marbury displayed his scoring and passing abilities. Both guards were quicker than anyone else on the floor.
In one instance, Marbury crossed over Iverson, leaving him on the floor. Meanwhile, AI also made some unbelievable shots over him throughout the game. Iverson finished the game with 23 points while Marbury had 13.
The hip-hop style commentary of the events adds a riveting dimension to these highlights. Meanwhile, the user who uploaded the clip on Instagram, asked in the captions, “Who was more athletic Marbury or Iverson? Georgetown Hoyas vs Georgia Tech 96-97.”
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While AI might have had a slight edge in terms of athleticism and ball control, Marbury’s athletic abilities were nothing to sleep on either. At any rate, the clip made a remarkable impression on Garnett who shared the video with the caption, “Classic Ish RESPECT ”
KG with the big throwback pic.twitter.com/P2eECOCeYp
— What are (W)NBA Celebs Upto? (@NBACelebsUpdate) September 16, 2024
Iverson and Marbury were both top-notch prospects out of high school. In the NCAA, AI spent two seasons at Georgetown, finishing with a stellar 23 points, 4.6 assists, and 3.2 steals per game average.
His NCAA tenure catapulted him to the #1 position in the well-heralded 1996 Draft, where he was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers. Meanwhile, Marbury spent just one season with Georgia Tech, amassing 18.9 points, 4.5 assists, and 1.8 steals per game.
He was drafted at the #4 position in the 1996 Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Iverson enjoyed a much better NBA career than Marbury.
He showed the ability to single-handedly change a franchise’s fortune when he carried an average 76ers roster to the 2000 Finals. His resume boasts of the 2000 MVP award and 11 All-Star appearances.
Meanwhile, Marbury played for four different teams within 8 years. He couldn’t live up to the hype, but still had an impressive NBA career He managed two All-Star appearances and tallied 19.3 points, 7.6 assists, and 1.2 steals per game during his NBA career.
Iverson and Marbury clashed 25 times in the NBA. Interestingly, the latter won 14 of those battles. During those tilts, AI had a higher scoring average of 28.7 points per game compared to Marbury’s 21.4 points.
However, Marbury had a better assists tally with 8.9 assists compared to Iverson’s 5.6 assists per game.
It was always a treat when these two undersized guards squared off against each other.
