Allen Iverson, who was a huge fan of the Chicago Bulls legend, recalled what Michael Jordan said to him when the two first spoke.
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Allen Iverson was one of a kind. When he entered the league, the hype surrounding the barely 6′ guard was unreal. By then, AI had gained a lot of infamy after the Bowling Alley incident.
But coming to the league is a similar experience for every rookie. Even when you are a great talent like AI, there is always that ‘welcome to the big league’ moment.
For Allen Iverson, that moment came when he first met Michael Jordan. It was an even more impactful moment because Iverson was an ardent MJ fan. But the way he met his idol wasn’t how he’d expected.
Michael Jordan called Allen Iverson a b**ch
In an interview with Complex, AI revealed the first time he met his childhood idol. Back in 1996, when Iverson joined the league as a rookie, Michael Jordan had already won 4 rings and was on his route to winning two more.
So, safe to say MJ was still at the peak of his career. His legend had grown beyond the realms of just basketball. Allen Iverson recalled the meeting in great detail. He started off by discussing his adoration for MJ and how he was smitten by the superstar.
Iverson recalled how Michael had an aura around him. Even on the court, he oozed this energy that warned anyone preparing to face him. But once the game started, Allen Iverson went toe to toe against MJ.
In fact, AI faced MJ in just his second appearance in the NBA. While he had 30 in his debut game, facing Chi Town did not go as well. Iverson was terrible from the line and made only 4 of 13 field goals. He ended up with 15 points while MJ had 27.
However, AI did not talk to Jordan in that meeting. He remembers talking to him later in the season. In the interview, he claimed:
“The first time I ever talked to him was that year, playing in the rookie game. ‘ll never forget it, because he said, ‘What’s up, you little b**ch?’ I’ll never forget it. I looked at him like … ‘All right, man.'”
Not really the kind of words you want to hear from the man you have idolized for ages.
AI also discussed his iconic crossover on MJ
In the interview, Iverson also discussed his epic crossover on the GOAT. AI started by sharing how when Iverson told MJ he was a huge fan and had loved him since forever, MJ reminded him about the crossover.
Iverson: “I remember one time I was telling him I went to Charlotte game and I was telling him how much he meant to me and how much I rocked with him and he said, ‘You wouldn’t have rocked with me like that because you wouldn’t have crossed me like that.'”
Classic MJ. But kudos to Iverson for not sparing his idol. Someone had to school and humble Michael at times and there were only a select few capable of it.
