The general consensus is that Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time. You’ll find a few holdouts that will tell you it’s Bill Russell or someone else from a bygone era, but, for the most part, the answer will be Jordan. However, for a generation (my generation) that grew up watching the NBA in the 90s and early 2000s, Jordan — for all his greatness — wasn’t necessarily everyone’s favorite player.
Everyone wished to be like Mike, but he operated on such a different level that being Mike always felt unattainable. For many coming up in that time period, Allen Iverson was the one that represented an attainable goal. He was of a normal height and didn’t jump out of the gym, but still dominated with his skills as a ball-handler, shooter, and just all-around scorer of the basketball. You could dream of putting in the work to be like A.I., and that’s why, at 42 years old, he’s still a marquee attraction at the BIG3.
Iverson wasn’t just the guy that had normal size in a sea of giants, but he also came from the struggle and emerged as a star. For LeBron James, that’s what set Iverson apart from Jordan, and, as he told Sports Illustrated‘s Lee Jenkins, is what made Iverson a god to kids like him.
“He represented what black kids were all about, and he resonated with every inner-city kid in the world who had a struggle,” LeBron James says. “Michael Jordan inspired me, and I looked up to him, but he was out of this world. A.I. was really the god.”
It’s a bit strange to hear James say this, as he’s closer to Jordan’s “out of this world” physical build and athleticism than he is to the everyman Iverson, but as a kid, James didn’t know he’d be a 6’8 monster. He saw Iverson and, like tons of other kids, he saw an attainable goal. As it turns out, Jordan was indeed an attainable goal for James, but that wasn’t the case until he was on the precipice of entering the league.
So, for those that wonder why “We Want A.I.” chants cascaded down on him at the BIG3 opener in Brooklyn — and why they will continue to throughout the 10-week season — James’ statement explains it. We all wanted to be Mike, but Iverson connected in a different way. As James notes, that’s especially so for kids that came from struggle and poverty and wanted a way out. Iverson was the blueprint for that and it’s why he will forever be beloved, because he was the god.
