Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant played against all the greats.
Jordan came through Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Karl Malone in the ’80s and ’90s, while Kobe squared off against the likes of Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, and LeBron James at the turn of the century and beyond.
However, one under-sized star came to mind above all others when the iconic pair were asked who the toughest opponent they ever faced was.
During a rare admission of weakness, MJ was asked in an interview who he struggled going head-to-head with.
“The hardest opponent for me to play against? In terms of 1-on-1? Small guys,” No. 23 said.
“[Allen] Iverson,” he stated.
“Damon Stoudamire, Rod Strickland. Those little guards like that, it’s tough for me. Muggsy [Bogues]. [John] Starks? No problem with Starks.”
Speaking about Allen Iverson in particular, Jordan said: “He could beat me on the perimeter, but I could take him in the post. He’s a heck of a good player. He’s a young talent. He is gonna continue to get better once he learns how to play the game on a much higher scale.
“Right now, he’s doing a lot on physical ability. He’s good, he’s quick. That’s a challenge for me to go out to him and his stature. He’s so quick and small. But it’s a challenge. I won’t back away.”
It was an opinion shared by the late, great Kobe many years later.
‘Air Jordan’ faced a young Iverson but Bryant saw ‘The Answer’ at his peak.
Like his idol MJ, Kobe named ‘AI’ as one of the toughest opponents he ever had the pleasure of sharing the NBA hardwood with.
“Allen Iverson, he was a load to deal with, man,” the Los Angeles Lakers legend told Jimmy Kimmel.
“He was really, really tough.
“There was a game where he dropped 44 on me in Philadelphia,” Bryant recalled.
Iverson was the No.1 overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft when Jordan was in the midst of his second world championship three-peat.
The barely six-foot shooting guard out of Georgetown properly announced himself to the basketball world in 1997 when he humiliated a prime Jordan.
Back then, AI was a 21-year-old rookie sensation already brimming with the confidence and swagger he’d later become famous for.
During a March game between the 76ers and Bulls, Iverson had the ball at the top of the key when his idol switched onto him.
What happened next will forever live in NBA folklore, as the audacious youngster went into his deep bag of tricks and hit a stunned Jordan with a double-crossover before drilling a mid-range shot.
The Bulls won, 108-104, but Iverson stole the show, dropping 37 points and establishing himself as ‘The Answer’.
Over the next few years, the 1996-1997 Rookie of the Year proved himself to be one of the game’s most prolific scorers.
He won the scoring title in 1998-99, 2000-01, 2001-02 (as well as the 2004-05 season) and was named The Association’s MVP in the 2000-01 season, the same campaign he led the Sixers to the Finals.
Philly’s plucky underdogs, spearheaded by Iverson, were no match for Shaq and Kobe’s all-conquering Lakers, who won the series 4-1.
However, the enduring image from that championship series was Iverson’s iconic ‘step over’.
After knocking down a fadeaway jump shot in Game 1 of the 2001 Finals, Iverson stepped over Lakers guard Ty Lue, who had fallen down following his contest, to create another legendary moment that became an inextricable part of NBA lore.
Despite the defeat, Iverson’s on and off-court swag, signature cornrows and tattoos, and braggadocios, often flawed personality made him one of the sport’s most beloved personalities and impactful cultural figures.
His infamous ‘practice’ rant has has been immortalized by countless memes even to this day.
An NBA championship ultimately eluded No.3 for the 76ers, but 11 All-Star selections, two All-Star Game MVPs, seven All-NBA nods, and three steals titles ensured his place in the Hall of Fame as one of the greatest players in NBA history.
However, Iverson’s legacy is much more than just his accolades.
‘AI’s fierce competitiveness and relentless will to win far superseded his slender stature, allowing him to compete — and often come out on top against — much bigger opposition he had absolutely no right going toe to toe with.
Iverson gave any player, big or small, absolute nightmares, and more than lived up to this billing as ‘The Answer’.
MJ and Kobe knew that better than most, with no higher praise than that of those two giants of the game.