Allen Iverson Drops His All-Time NBA Starting Five: Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James Top the List [VIDEO]
Ahead of his induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame next month, Philadelphia 76ers legend Allen Iverson has been granting interviews to reflect on his basketball career and legacy. In a recent wide-ranging talk with rapper Jadakiss for "Livin Legends," the 11-time NBA All-Star named his top five players of all-time.
Starting Five
Iverson revealed that his all-time NBA starting five would include Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. The 41-year-old basketball superstar, however, left the fifth spot open for several active NBA players including Stephen Curry, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Kyrie Irving.
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Jordan averaged 30.1 points in his 15 seasons in the league, while O'Neal concluded his 19-year NBA career with 23.7 points. On the other hand, Bryant retired with an average of 17.6 points in his 20 years in the league, while James accumulated an average of 25.3 points in the past 13 regular seasons.
According to Ross Bentley of Uproxx, Iverson was apparently influenced to pick the tough players he played against with, however, most of his choices are debatable. He stated that the retired basketball player overlooked Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Jerry West, Bill Russell, Oscar Robertson and Wilt Chamberlain.
Adam Reisinger of ESPN commented that the Hall of Famer obviously chose scoring point guards on his list. He added that the preference is understandable given the fact that Iverson had an impressive scoring record in the league, averaging 26.7 points in his 14-year NBA career.
Old Favorites
The inclusion of Jordan, Bryant and James is not anymore surprising considering that Iverson was very vocal in the past about his fascination to the players' NBA performances. During his 'Game Changer' Award speech last year, he honored Jordan as his basketball inspiration while growing up.
Moreover, Iverson also praised Bryant last year after the Los Angeles Lakers legend announced his retirement. He credited Bryant for bringing out so much in him as a basketball player.
In April, Iverson told ESPN that James reminded him most of himself as an NBA player. He explained that they have different games, but they are muck alike when it comes to playing with a heart.
Iverson's Legacy
Aside from dropping his all-time NBA starting five, Iverson also talked about his inimitable off-court style that made an impact on the culture of the sport. The retired basketball player was cited as the reason why the league started a dress code.
Iverson reflected that he just stayed true to himself. He added that he is happy that the young NBA players today are not anymore afraid of dressing up the way they want.
