Iverson was at a signing session in Philadelphia when a fan asked for his Kobe poster. Iverson surprised the attendee and signed it for him, but still played with energy on the court that night.
During an autograph session earlier this week, basketball enthusiasts queued up in droves to collect Allen Iverson’s signature. Soon after, a little child presented Iverson with a poster of The Answer and Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant, and the awe spectators had at watching AI was transferred to him.
As members of the illustrious 1996 NBA Draft Class, which AI considers to be the finest in league history, Iverson and Bryant are inextricably intertwined. Iverson, for one, wished he had a better off-court connection with Bean. Nonetheless, the former Philadelphia 76ers star’s enormous regard and affection for Kobe led to a memorable encounter for the young fan.
Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant were two of the greatest basketball players of their time.
During Game 2 of the 2001 NBA Finals, Philadelphia 76ers’ Allen Iverson (L) and Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant (R) exchange words | Getty Images/AFP/Jeff Haynes
Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant defined the shooting guard position in the 2000s more than anybody else.
Iverson became renowned as the courageous, small player who faced down all comers and had a huge cultural influence on the NBA. In a 2000-01 season in which he led a completely average 76ers group to the NBA Finals, he was named to 11 All-Star teams, won four scoring championships, and was named league MVP.
In those Finals, Iverson and the Sixers faced Bryant and a dominating Lakers team. Philly even surprised LA by winning Game 1 because to AI’s epic 48-point effort. However, the Lakers tied the series in Game 2 thanks to Bryant’s 31 points, after which he insisted on chopping out Philly’s heart. They cruised the rest of the way, winning the series in five games and posting an incredible 15-1 record in the 2001 playoffs.
Iverson’s light shone brightly for the rest of his career, but he never came close to winning another title. Bryant, on the other hand, added to his CV.
With the Lakers, Kobe won his third title in 2002, and following a tough retooling phase in the mid-2000s, he returned to the Finals in 2008 after earning NBA MVP during the regular season. Bryant’s legacy was confirmed when he won back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010.
The Black Mamba’s toughness, two-way talent, and winning reputation made him one of the best shooting guards of all time, and his post-retirement adjustment to being a “girl parent” endeared him to people all around the world.
During a recent signing session, Iverson showed his undying respect for Kobe.
When a little fan requested Iverson to autograph a poster of him and Bryant, the 76ers star became emotional.
Allen Iverson is known for signing a plethora of artifacts. But nothing has ever touched him as much as a poster that a little admirer requested him to sign earlier this week.
The Answer was visibly taken aback when presented with the poster, which depicts AI and Kobe Bryant during the 2001 NBA Finals between the Sixers and Lakers. He even went so far as to ask (h/t Bleacher Report) the fan if he could keep the poster.
“Damn! Who is this, exactly? Is it yours? Man, where do you want me to sign this? Are you going to give it to me? Have you got another for me? “Man, I’m in desperate need of one of them.”
Allen Iverson is a basketball player who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Iverson’s admiration for Bryant is clear in this video, just as it was when he sent an impassioned message to Kobe when the Laker great passed away in January 2020.
But, as they say, respect is a two-way street. Iverson had a lot to deal with from Kobe.
Kobe was enraged at AI’s performance.
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Before facing AI, Kobe Bryant studied sharks because he admired Allen Iverson’s killer attitude. Seriously.
Before meeting Iverson, Kobe discussed his research on sharks in a 2017 column for The Players’ Tribune. It’s a tale The Answer retold in his own column for the Players’ Tribune in August 2020, when he also mentioned hearing reports of Bryant destroying a hotel room due to an Iverson scoring performance.
Iverson’s skill and tenacity were obviously appreciated by Kobe. In many aspects, his studies of Iverson are said to have influenced the development of the infamous Mamba Mentality.
Both males were very appreciative of one another. That emotion of astonishment and appreciation continues to this day.
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