MJ was in awe of Allen Iverson's dominance during his rookie season.
Allen Iverson's epic crossover move on Michael Jordan was arguably the best highlight of his rookie season in the NBA. It was also a sign of things to come, as A.I. showcased an offensive repertoire a lot of the veterans might've been jealous of. That includes MJ himself.
"Was I a one-man offense like that when I was a rookie? I just wanted to know because it was so long ago," Jordan told reporters after an April 1997 game against Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers via AP News.
Iverson was the No. 1 pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, one of the best classes in NBA history. But from day one, it was obvious he'd justify the hype that surrounded him even when he was still in high school.
Allen Iverson's epic crossover move on Michael Jordan was arguably the best highlight of his rookie season in the NBA. It was also a sign of things to come, as A.I. showcased an offensive repertoire a lot of the veterans might've been jealous of. That includes MJ himself.
"Was I a one-man offense like that when I was a rookie? I just wanted to know because it was so long ago," Jordan told reporters after an April 1997 game against Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers via AP News.
Iverson was the No. 1 pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, one of the best classes in NBA history. But from day one, it was obvious he'd justify the hype that surrounded him even when he was still in high school.
"Because of the excitement that he brings. He's the leading candidate without a doubt," Jordan said of Iverson's case for winning the Rookie of The Year award in '97.
Just as how Jordan saw it, Iverson was hailed NBA's Rookie of the Year by the end of the 1996-97 season after logging an impressive tally of 23.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 7.5 assists, and 2.1 steals per game.
As for Jordan, he also won the ROTY award in 1985, and hype-wise, he and Iverson seemed equal. But when it comes right down to it, MJ was still the better individual player as he finished his rookie year with MVP-like numbers already: 28.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, six assists, and 2.4 steals per game.
Since then, Jordan knew Iverson would only improve over time. And even though MJ was well aware that A.I. was still far from his stature around that time, his competitive juices did not allow him to take it easy on the youngster—especially after Iverson's iconic crossover move.
"He's a heck of a good player. He's a young talent, and I think he's going to continue to get better once he learns how to play the game on a much higher scale. Right now, he is doing it a lot on physical ability, and he's good; he's quick. That's a challenge for me to try to go out to him and his stature. He's so quick and small. But it's a challenge I won't back away from. He may crossover on me again. At least I'm gonna get out there and try," Jordan said in 1998.
