Allen Iverson and Dennis Rodman are two of the most iconic figures in basketball. Iverson, known for revolutionizing the world of fashion in the NBA, and Rodman known for his eccentric persona are cultural figureheads in the NBA. However, there was a time when the two clashed. Back in 1996 a match between the Chicago Bulls and the Philadelphia 76ers nearly ended in blows. 21-year-old Iverson went after The Worm, who was repeatedly smacking him on the behind. It was an intense fight, the video of which has now resurfaced on Reddit.
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Both AI and Rodman had unsavory reputations in the NBA. Iverson had developed an image as a “street-hardened” superstar and Rodman, in the same vein, was considered the infamous “bad boy” of the league. As such, their clash, although unnecessary was without a doubt an incredibly entertaining spectacle.
Video of the fight between Allen Iverson and Dennis Rodman from 1996 resurfaces
In 1996, Allen Iverson was the No.1 overall pick in the NBA Draft. A rookie coming out of Georgetown University, Iverson was a premier talent. However, while he had all the tools he needed in his arsenal, his ability to adapt to the mind games of veteran players left something to be desired.
With that in mind, Dennis Rodman had a field day when the Chicago Bulls took on the 76ers. A young Iverson was balling as usual, but there was one person getting on his nerves. It was none other than The Worm himself, who for some reason decided to smack AI on the behind every chance he got.
Understandably, Iverson reached his boiling point sometime during the game, and as a result, decided to get all up in Rodman’s face, after the latter apparently “elbowed” him while rising up for a rebound. Things could have escalated even further, but fortunately, their teammates were quick to rush in. It was an entertaining encounter between two of the NBA’s biggest entertainers. The video of the same has now resurfaced after 27 years.
AI certainly was easy to anger. After all, it didn’t take much to get him riled up, nor was this the only time he has gotten into a fight with another NBA player.
Iverson nearly came to blows with former LA Laker Sasha Vujacic
From the looks of it, Allen Iverson isn’t someone who likes to be ticked off. And, more often than not, when he is ticked off, his first course of action is to pick a fight. Similar to what happened with Dennis Rodman in 1996, AI nearly got into another fight 10 years later. This time, it was with former Los Angeles Lakers star Sasha Vujacic, who performed a hard foul on the 2001 MVP.
At the end of the day, the Answer was also just a human. Even he is prone to anger just like the rest of us. Although, it looks as though it proved to be his downfall on a number of occasions in his career.
