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Kobe was the 13th pick because he was coming out of high school, which at that point was rare. Teams were cautious with high schoolers, as they were unpredictable and for the most part required years of development.
Football was AI's first love and the sport he always wanted to play professionally. In his Hall of Fame speech he referenced the fact that his mom had to drag him to basketball practice because he thought the sport was too "soft" and he would get bullied for it. He changed his mind and fell in love with the sport when he realized his friends from football played basketball too. He ended up playing professionally basketball solely due to the fact he had no options to play college football after his conviction. This ment his chances of making it in the NFL were slim to none. He was also drafted into the NBA so there was no risk in going into that league and moving on from football at that point.
@titleloanman Because there was no need to put on that weight in the NBA lmao. He's not taking hits from linebackers my guy...he said if he did go the football route, he'd bulk up, as most players do when entering the league.
Like they said in the video, Iverson is one of the most culturally influential athletes in nba history. Before him, cornrows, sleeves, headbands and tattoos were less common. Taboo even. He changed the image people associate with the sport. Kids that grew up during the early 2000s would watch and emulate his style, both on the court and off. His baggy hip hop inspired streetwear led to the NBA adopting a more formal dress code in order to appear more "professional".
I fail in see the good thing on that "legacy" honestly. In resume: selfish, uncoachable, with shitty work ethic and, to close the case, never won a championship. Only stacked stats for his own sake. Nah, I pass this kind of heirloom.
@@vicenterairasure his not the nicest dude but he embraces that wild side of himself. He doesnt hide what he is and that charisma made him an icon. He inspired kids to play basketball and copy his moves. That Im him mentality gave birth to the scoring guards of today. His the Steph Curry of the early 2000s. Love him or hate him his still one of the few basketball players that made a big impact on the sports
the cornrows and his style was popular amongst the black community of course but AI wasn’t afraid to bring it to the big stage. He was unapologetically himself, and i’m sure you could imagine the type of people that didn’t approve.
I don't know what Non Stop Sports is talking about, Iverson was UNIVERSALLY loved by fans. The only thing that fans dislike was the fact that he never won a championship.
One thing I liked about Iverson is that he gave us shorties hope that we could still make it 'big' in basketball. It didn't really pan out that way but nice to have that hope ;)
All his football and basketball offers got pulled. No college would touch him because he was fresh outta prison. 1 coach was convinced by his mom to give him a chance. After reading a letter she wrote him pleading. And that school Georgetown doesn’t have a football program. Its a small catholic school in D.C. that had a good basketball program. So football was out of the question. And football was his 1st sport in high school. He definitely preferred football. And wanted to play in the NFL. He just simply had no avenue to do it after jail. And he was a beast his 2 years in college. Lead the NCAA in scoring and steals his last year.
So the thing about Iverson was that football was his first love and true passion. It’s probably why he didn’t work as hard at basketball. But he was just so athletically gifted he didn’t have to and could still be a superstar. He chose basketball because all of his football scholarships had been pulled. His mother turned to John Thompson because he was one of the few high profile black coaches in college sports and was known as a strict disciplinarian.
to say he didnt work hard at basketball is crazy. any multi sport athlete always says football was easier than most sports because run fast be strong 9/10 you are that guy. a skill sport like basketball is not the same.
@@stevenneato3518 I’m not saying he didn’t work hard at all. But he definitely didn’t take care of his body like other top stars. I’m pretty sure it’s just as hard to be a pro bowl NFL cornerback as it is to be a all star PG/SG skill wise. There are plenty guys who made the NBA just because they ran fast or jumped high (Stromile Swift, Gerald Green, Tyrus Thomas)
It also helps that the nba is paid higher and with longer careers with lower injury risk. Unless you are a superstar football player, basketball is viewed as a better career than a football player.
He was a legendary player he had no fear and would play thru all sorts of injuries the only issue was they didnt have another scorer on that team Iverson was the offense for the Sixers (and to be fair he wasnt one to pass in situations and ran alot of isolation plays) but in my opinion thats the reason why he didnt win a ring.
A.I. in philly was electric! My cousin's high school graduation was cut short so everyone could get home in time for Sixers v Lakers NBA Finals! My dad did a 2hr commute in 45mins, all kinds of speed limits broken 😂😂
He was just a street baller that made it to the NBA. Everyone else in the league was playing coached ball and he was playing a pick up game on a rivals court. The question for poor kids was how can I get out of this and he was The Answer.
In terms of cultural influence, Iverson is probably top 3 with MJ and Kobe. Random but kind of funny illustration of this: In the 2002 film Like Mike, an orphan played by Lil Bow Wow acquires a magical pair of sneakers purported to have once belonged to Michael Jordan that give him incredible basketball talents. Despite the title and inciting incident being direct references to MJ, it is shown repeatedly throughout the film that the protagonist’s favorite player, the one whose jersey number he wears and whose style he copies, is Allen Iverson.
Iverson definitely popularized cornrows as well as having tattoos everywhere (along with rodman) Also, in general, if you're good enough at both football and basketball, basketball is usually the way to go due to the longer potential career and earnings financially....and far less CTE to deal with beyond the playing career....you only really pick football over basketball or baseball if you're not projected very high as a prospect in basketball or baseball
Allen Iverson was a warrior, the man left his heart on the court every night. No play was taken easy when he played. He hustled for every ball. He attacked the rim relentlessly despite his small size... getting beat up by the bigs in the paint, and he'd just get up and continue. Not to mention he is one of the most influential NBA players in terms of changing the culture of the NBA.
He was a animal in college sir. I was a kid around that time and his hype was unreal. Back then( mid 90's) college basketball was at it's apex. The conference AI's team played in ( Big East) had tough competition, however AI averaged 25 ppg as a sophomore! It was unheard of for a undersized guard to be that good early on, besides maybe Chris Jackson or Isiah Thomas.
Regarding Kobe in the draft: something that gets glossed over constantly with Kobe is that he was very much like most straight from highschool players; in that he needed a couple of seasons to develop. There is this narrative that Kobe was dominant from day 1, and that is nowhere near the reality. He wasn't a starter until year 3, he averaged 7.6 ppg his rookie year. Iverson was a much more reliable bet to at least be above average, but kobe had a higher ceiling. The only high school player that can make any claim of immediate dominance is lebron.
So glad you guys are are reviewing Allen Iverson. I grew up watching Allen Iverson as a kid. I actually have his old-school black Philadelphia 76ers jersey, and I made the mistake of having braids like him as a kid because I did not look good with those braids at all. Lol.
For me, Iverson is in that category of players who, as good as they were, were probably more famous due to their importance to the the culture of the game than their actual abilities, similar to someone like Vince Carter. Most people don’t consider Iverson in the GOAT conversation and probably not even greatest at his position, but his status as a cultural icon of the game is pretty much at that level.
It was both his cultural and play equally. His ability at his size was uncanny... He played like he was 6'7 and took a offensively depleted Sixers far in the post season..... H e was basically a 5'11 Jordan minus the off court work ethic.
If he couldn't produce on the court, no one would have known about his culture impact. His game and production shed light on his personal life, not the other way around. He averaged a third of his teams points...A THIRD...A THIRD.....This small human joined a 17 win team (or something like that), and they were a playoff team by year two. No one else on that team made that much of a difference...
He is often portrayed as being the guy who never really made it. But he did put 24,000 points in the net and his points per game average is seventh all the time. For a period of time he was the best basketball player in the NBA and pound for pound in physical stature he is probably the greatest player to ever play. The only exception would be wilt chamberlain.
his college career was definitely pretty great, and he led his team to deep post-season runs in both of his years. but more than that, sometimes there are players at the college level who just rip through the opposition in unique ways that everybody is pretty sure will make them highly productive, even unstoppable, at the pro level. so he got good results, but he also just showcased his preternatural abilities to the decision-makers at the professional level.
AI is one of a handful of players who displayed 100% effort on every play of every game. He treated every possession as if he was playing for his life. Because of his size and style he constantly played injured also. I remember a graphic during the 2001 finals showing a dozen or so injuries he had, including a fractured tailbone, toe, and finger.
I remember that vividly. It was a black outline of his body with a red dot signifying every injury he had, and it lit up like a freaking Christmas tree. And as you pointed out, he had _multiple_ injuries that normally a person wouldn't be able to play through. He might have been the toughest basketball player ever. I didn't care he didn't practice hard... he _killed_ himself during _games_
The media treated him like Marshawn Lynch while he played. Misrepresented them as trouble making, team destroying thugs and then praised them after they retired once the media sources changed from sport meedia outlets to player led. His infamous practice rant wasn't even about not practicing like the media wrote, but it's what most people remember when they hear his name unfortunately. Even the NBA changed the dress code once he came in with his own style. He wasn't a "ball hog" or "selfish". He was a great player doing everything he could to drag his teams to playoffs. Even this video brings up misconceptions about him just to sound good
Georgetown's was a team that was based around the center position. No guard at Georgetown had ever got the green-light from John Thompson like Iverson. He would have gone to college for football if not for his arrest. John Thompson gave him an opportunity after he was pardoned. That is why he went to Georgetown.. After Jordan retired, Iverson was the most popular player in the NBA.
@DNReacts Guys I would recommend individual ones. Think of the athletes you've "Gotten to know" through reactions and go with some of them. You've seen mic'd up, trash talking, backgrounds on their past etc. But HOF speeches you see who they REALLY are as a person.
AI is one of the most influential player's in history. Dennis Rodman started the tattoos but people looked at it as a joke. AI started the tattoos phase, helping to bring hip-hop culture into the mainstream by wearing cornrows, braids, and baggy clothes. When he did it than every other athlete in other sports started doing it, he paved the way for how alot how athlete's look today.
He definitely brought in corn rows and tats. Rodman had his since 93-94 his first year with the spurs. 4-5 years before AI got really tatted up around 97-98. And no players in any sport we’re getting tats in that interim. So he definitely was the main one for that too! He’s probably the most influential athlete ever. As far as people mimicking your physical appearance goes! Everybody and their mom had braids and tats.
Comments, you think they'd like the KG story? The interview with John Thompson would be a phenomenal first time reaction to introduce people to KG and his intensity and trash talk stories
Allen iverson put in the work he just didn’t dedicate his whole life to basketball compared to mj and Kobe . He didn’t let the sport assumed his whole life
Accurate depiction of AI. I was never the biggest fan, not into inefficient players. Except for early Westbrook, but that’s another story. I do think the depiction of him not practicing gives a bit of a skewed view, as if he didn’t care as much as some others. I think he just viewed practice differently. He always gave more than everyone else on the court, right up there with Kobe. I just don’t think he thought that monotonous discipline would help. But I think he wanted to win as much as anyone else. Also, being so small, he’d get knocked around a ton and I think he needed to rest a lot.
I believe he also mentioned he felt it was a time for him to recover since he had to do so much while playing. Dude apparently never once lifted weights while in the NBA either. Kinda nuts.
I had similar thought processes. I didn't like Iverson when I was young, but came to appreciate him more around the time he retired. I also was a big Westbrook fan in the first half of his career, but he has become among the most frustrating players recently for me.
U need to also take into account the era he played in. Efficiency for ANY guard wasn’t an option in that era, let alone a smaller one. The spacing, physicality, and style of the game impacted everyone’s efficiency to a large degree.
i just wanted to say that the Kyrios comparison is a liiiittle different. The practice thing was a bit blown out of porportion just because of the infamous speech on "practice". He wanted to win VERY badly, but that ego drive is also what lead him to not fully succeed because it was too hard for his ego to sort of take a step back from his high usage rate style of play that lead him to be one of the top players ever, and transition more into a trusting/team oriented style of basketball.
AI is an absolute dog, the comment from Kobe says it all. I think his biggest weakness was tied to his strength, his confidence/bravado caused empty possessions. However, you always knew he could go for 40, played with tremendous energy and was great at getting to the FT line. I always marveled at his fearlessness, jumping around like a nimble cat in the paint with the tall treed Defenders haha. He is an icon
Another reason a lot of athletes go with basketball over football (especially now) is for injury concerns. You are far less likely to suffer from CTE after a career in the NBA. Sure your knees and back are probably shot, but at least your brain isn't pummeled into senility by the time you're 50.
Iverson's preference was actually football, but no football programs offered him an opportunity. He went with baskeball because John Thompson took a chance on him. He would have been a hall of famer in football as well had he gone that path. His playing style in basketball indicates he would have been unusually tough and durable in football as well.
I was a high school two sport start in NC shortly after Iverson. From my experience, he most likely chose basketball due to colleges not wanting to give him a shot a playing QP on the college level. This was the era when the Dual Threat QB was just becoming fashionable. I dealt with the same issues being recruited. Either you were a pocket passer, or an option QB. Offenses had yet to be designed for dual threats in general. Add to that he was undersized...this was before the Drew Brees' and Russell Wilson's became prominent as undersized QBs. Charlie Ward is a good example of why Iverson chose basketball.
Kobe wasn’t happy that his hometown team picked AI over him. Kobe got his payback when he killed us in the 2001 Finals; our last time we made it that far 😭 AI #3 Bryce Harper #3
Additional context on AI's greatness in that Finals game: that was the _ONLY LOSS_ the Lakers had in the _entire playoffs_ that season. Iverson prevented them from being the only team in NBA history to sweep their way through every round of the playoffs. Winning in _the Finals_ against _that team_ with the paucity of help on his squad (that Philly team is in the running for the worst team to ever make a Finals, along with LeBron's first Cavaliers squad) is only surpassed by LeBron winning against a 73-win team after being down 3-1. Iverson was the most feared player of the era between Jordan and Kobe, even more than Shaq, because he just relentlessly attacked and couldn't be stopped. I remember a graphic they showed in the Finals of all the injuries he was playing through with a outline of a human body and a red dot for every injury. And he just lit up like a Christmas tree. And some of these were _major_ injuries, the kind of things normal people can't play through, like bone spurs, tendon injuries, _bursitis in his shooting arm,_ fractures, and sprains. He was like the Terminator. Just impacable and inexorable. You really had to be there to appreciate it.
@@officialzacht if you mean the spelling of "practice/practise"..... Brits spell the word both ways depending whether it's used as a noun or a verb..... same with some of us old Canajuns. and I know A.I. said it in Merican...... but it's a Brit channel and they are desperately trying to hold onto their dying O.E. language eh.
AI changed the culture of basketball. He merged hip hop and basketball, made tattoos and cornrows mainstream. Every baller loved AI and he is still beloved.
his size would be an issue in football as a QB, not in college but the NFL. The NFL especially back in the 90's hated short QB's just look what they did to Doug Flute. AI had a promising future in Basketball and way better chances to make it to the NBA than the NFL
Cornrows has never been a trend in our community it comes with history. It goes back to Africa. So the word trend should be used for the others that wear cornrows.
His college career was good from an individual standpoint, if it wasn’t for him going to jail he would’ve probably been on a better college team like duke or NC
You should have watched "how good was Allen Iverson really" by Jonny Arnett. this video doesn't talk about how good he actually was he's more of a shooting guard than a point guard he's 4th all time in scoring among guards and miles ahead of anyone at his size also his shooting is much better compared to other shooting guards etc. He also is second all time in points per game in the playoffs just behind Jordan.
Iverson is the reason why almost every NBA player now is covered in tattoos and why so many of them wear arm (and now leg) sleeves. He changed the culture surrounding basketball. Steph Curry changed the game itself but not the culture around it. Both achievements are great in and of themselves and people can debate forever which is actually more important.
2000-01 Allen Iverson season was Incredible he carried the Philadelphia 76ers to the NBA Finals he's derisive the MVP award and earned everyone respect
I found myself not liking the guys video lol. Made AI seem selfish and lazy. Amd thats not true. He doing exactly what the media was doing to AI when he played. For one you'd be hard to find mamy people that hated allen. Hell him his coach didnt really get along amd he loved him. Two AI did practice and put in work. U dont just wake up and become an nba player. Lol.
I think Iverson chose basketball over football because someone his size would get crushed in the NFL. In general most NBA players make more money and have longer careers than NFL players also. Even though the NFL makes a ton of money they have 52 people on a team versus 15 in basketball so it gets spread more thinly.
I ran into AI back in 2002 at the Atlantis hotel in the Bahamas. He had a full on entourage with him. He was walking through the restaurant, lobby area and was wearing a big puffy coat. Didn't make sense when it's 85 degrees outside but I guess wanted to look cool. His security didn't let anyone get close to him and he didn't stop for pictures or autographs but he wasn't a dick about it. He waved back to us and others on his way out, they all loaded up in some blacked out SUVs and left. Didn't see him again the rest of the week.
My #1 favorite player of all time - and I've been going to games since '88. Wrong video though. You want "Allen Iverson Ultimate Career Mixtape": ruclips.net/video/3W14pRfhO4k/видео.htmlsi=-eAACZwm3lz_fIME Also, what this video said about him practicing isn't true either. Chris Webber went to Philly in his later years and said he'd never seen anyone play harder in game than Iverson because he also practiced harder than anyone he'd ever seen.
By the way, it's CAP that Shaq was the most dominant center ever. Wilt FREAKING Chamberlain was the most dominant center ever. The man averaged 50 and 20 in a season while averaging _more minutes than there are minutes in a normal game_ because he'd play every minute of every game including overtime. Then he followed it up by leading the league in assists. The two chips he won were on the two winningest teams _of all time_ at that point (he helped break his own team record with his second Lakers championship... in which he won the Finals MVP, during the twilight of his career, with _Jerry West_ on his team). Recency bias is a bitch.
People forget that Kobe was a rookie on a team with Shaq...no way this young kid was getting significant playing time as a rookie, but AI was on a pretty bad team that actually NEEDED him to play.
I always assumed it was his size that made him decide on basketball, he was 6ft tall and generally speaking most, not all, sucessfull pro quarterbacks are taller than 6ft 2in....So it was far more likely to have been drafter higher, as he was since he was the 1st overall pick in the NBA draft and uless he lit the college football world on fire he would have probably ended up a mid to late round pick in the NFL which would have affected his wallet....But again that is just my assumption....
Quarterbaks being drafted at less than even 6'2 is a fairly modern chamge to the league. Looked it up and only 10 qbs that height or smaller would have ever started a game at the time AI came out. Iverson could have been great, but even with his talent, I dont know if he would have gotten the chance at the pro level even if his football scholarships wouldn't have been pulled.
Let me put in perspective: Coach John Robinson (RIP) NEVER let any of his players leave early... EVER. Not Patrick Ewing, not Alonzo Mourning.... AI was the very first one.
you guys obviously wasn't listening close enough and took the complete wrong thing from the video. AI didn't not win a championship because he wasn't dedicated enough and didn't reach his full potential, he didn't win because he didn't have the player around him. even with him going against the grain he still was one of the best PG in history who couldn't be stopped by some of the other best players in history. he reached his potential while going against the grain, that's what made him so polarizing.
AI is way better than you think he is. He was the player more NBA players were terrified of than any other. Dude is 5’11” and change. I don’t think you are appreciating how insane it is for someone his size to win MVP as a primary scorer. Iverson repeatedly schooled Kobe when they actually matched up. He was a better defender as well. Led the league in steals 3 years in a row. People try to dog on Iverson that he enjoyed his free time rather than devoting it all to practicing, or for not sacrificing for the team. And yet he was battling painful injuries and still putting up insane numbers as a tiny dude doing crazy minutes most of his career. For a garbage organization that did not provide him with support; he single handedly took a “meh” team to the Finals. The world was out to take him down at a young age.. they tried to unjustly lock him up and ruin him. If scoring big points makes you big money, can you blame him for going out for self? Basketball doesn’t have to be life for everyone; it can also just be a profession. And still he was so good we are talking about him amongst the all time greats. At 5’11”.
to answer the question of why he chose basketball, was probably similar to a guy like charlie ward. charlie ward won a heisman in college football but didnt enter his name in the draft because running qbs werent looked at like how they are now. is was very discouraged to play that style of qb weather it was successful or not. so he would have likely changed his position to something he didnt want to do so why do it lol.
The disrespect!!!! Comparing Iverson to Kyrios?!?😮 Never!!! Kyrios has proven he’s a jerk! The media dubbed him a bad boy because of how he dressed & cornrows and baggy clothes was considered thug attire. Iverson didn’t conform and therefore considered bad. He played his heart out on the court injured w/ team he literally had to carry on his back. I would NOT compare his work ethic to Kyrios. In Philadelphia he is beloved!!!😂 And yes I’m from Philadelphia.
As a white kid from NY I moved to Florida in 03. Had a buddies wife that did the hair and wanted to see if she could do it to a white kids hair. Worst 2 hours of my life. But she did it. It was a big thing then. Dont worry I took them out after a week. lmao Iverson was like Vick. All the talent in the world but didnt have the work ethic or the dedication to be great.
Cornrows we’re originally a hairstyle that was related to slavery, or rather a resistance to slavery at least here in America. I myself grew up in a very poor area in Philadelphia and didn’t really start seeing cornrows until the mid nineties, but AI and Donavan McNabb definitely made them much more popular especially here.
Wow never heard the Nick Kyrgios comparison before but it was apt, except the fact that Iverson was much bigger in the US than Kyrgios has ever been in tennis, but their personalities and career trajectories do seem similar
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In the invent that you missed it that was Michael Jordan AI crossed up at the 4 min marks
Kobe was the 13th pick because he was coming out of high school, which at that point was rare. Teams were cautious with high schoolers, as they were unpredictable and for the most part required years of development.
Didn't he also play high school ball in italy
@@cbogolo he already returned to the US by the time he's in high school
@@cbogoloHe moved back to America at 13. Summer before his freshman year. So he could attend H.S. in America all 4 years!
@@CoreyT127 i knew it was something like that I'm guessing it was in Philadelphia because I remember hearing something about Philadelphia
@@cbogolohe attended Lower Merion High School in Philadelphia
Football was AI's first love and the sport he always wanted to play professionally. In his Hall of Fame speech he referenced the fact that his mom had to drag him to basketball practice because he thought the sport was too "soft" and he would get bullied for it. He changed his mind and fell in love with the sport when he realized his friends from football played basketball too. He ended up playing professionally basketball solely due to the fact he had no options to play college football after his conviction. This ment his chances of making it in the NFL were slim to none. He was also drafted into the NBA so there was no risk in going into that league and moving on from football at that point.
Yup
That's right
Probably the best decision in the long run. Not too many 6’ 170# NFL players.
@@titleloanmanhe’d obviously be smart enough to put on 20lbs before playing
@@GetBackRy3x he didn’t put on weight in the NBA 🤷
@titleloanman Because there was no need to put on that weight in the NBA lmao. He's not taking hits from linebackers my guy...he said if he did go the football route, he'd bulk up, as most players do when entering the league.
Like they said in the video, Iverson is one of the most culturally influential athletes in nba history. Before him, cornrows, sleeves, headbands and tattoos were less common. Taboo even. He changed the image people associate with the sport. Kids that grew up during the early 2000s would watch and emulate his style, both on the court and off. His baggy hip hop inspired streetwear led to the NBA adopting a more formal dress code in order to appear more "professional".
Bingo. And people either loved him or hated him, as much for who he was as for how he played (personally he was favorite of the era)
Because the crime and problems came right along with the image! AI is like the worlds most talented fuck up!
I fail in see the good thing on that "legacy" honestly.
In resume: selfish, uncoachable, with shitty work ethic and, to close the case, never won a championship. Only stacked stats for his own sake.
Nah, I pass this kind of heirloom.
@@vicenterairayou’re ignorant
@@vicenterairasure his not the nicest dude but he embraces that wild side of himself. He doesnt hide what he is and that charisma made him an icon. He inspired kids to play basketball and copy his moves. That Im him mentality gave birth to the scoring guards of today. His the Steph Curry of the early 2000s. Love him or hate him his still one of the few basketball players that made a big impact on the sports
the cornrows and his style was popular amongst the black community of course but AI wasn’t afraid to bring it to the big stage. He was unapologetically himself, and i’m sure you could imagine the type of people that didn’t approve.
I don't know what Non Stop Sports is talking about, Iverson was UNIVERSALLY loved by fans. The only thing that fans dislike was the fact that he never won a championship.
Appreciate the context, thank you 🙏
A.I. We not even talkin bout the game, we talkin bout practice. Next to Andre Iguodala my favorite player. Great video guys keep it up!!!
One thing I liked about Iverson is that he gave us shorties hope that we could still make it 'big' in basketball. It didn't really pan out that way but nice to have that hope ;)
lmao all those "short" 6 footers need some inspiration
All his football and basketball offers got pulled. No college would touch him because he was fresh outta prison. 1 coach was convinced by his mom to give him a chance. After reading a letter she wrote him pleading. And that school Georgetown doesn’t have a football program. Its a small catholic school in D.C. that had a good basketball program. So football was out of the question. And football was his 1st sport in high school. He definitely preferred football. And wanted to play in the NFL. He just simply had no avenue to do it after jail. And he was a beast his 2 years in college. Lead the NCAA in scoring and steals his last year.
So the thing about Iverson was that football was his first love and true passion. It’s probably why he didn’t work as hard at basketball. But he was just so athletically gifted he didn’t have to and could still be a superstar.
He chose basketball because all of his football scholarships had been pulled. His mother turned to John Thompson because he was one of the few high profile black coaches in college sports and was known as a strict disciplinarian.
Thanks for the info i was wondering about that
to say he didnt work hard at basketball is crazy. any multi sport athlete always says football was easier than most sports because run fast be strong 9/10 you are that guy. a skill sport like basketball is not the same.
Appreciate the info, that’s crazy! Context definitely helps there
@@stevenneato3518 I’m not saying he didn’t work hard at all. But he definitely didn’t take care of his body like other top stars. I’m pretty sure it’s just as hard to be a pro bowl NFL cornerback as it is to be a all star PG/SG skill wise. There are plenty guys who made the NBA just because they ran fast or jumped high (Stromile Swift, Gerald Green, Tyrus Thomas)
It also helps that the nba is paid higher and with longer careers with lower injury risk. Unless you are a superstar football player, basketball is viewed as a better career than a football player.
He was a legendary player he had no fear and would play thru all sorts of injuries the only issue was they didnt have another scorer on that team Iverson was the offense for the Sixers (and to be fair he wasnt one to pass in situations and ran alot of isolation plays) but in my opinion thats the reason why he didnt win a ring.
A.I. in philly was electric!
My cousin's high school graduation was cut short so everyone could get home in time for Sixers v Lakers NBA Finals! My dad did a 2hr commute in 45mins, all kinds of speed limits broken 😂😂
Love Iverson, what you see is what you get. “We’re talking PRACTICE!” Street basketball!
He was just a street baller that made it to the NBA. Everyone else in the league was playing coached ball and he was playing a pick up game on a rivals court. The question for poor kids was how can I get out of this and he was The Answer.
In terms of cultural influence, Iverson is probably top 3 with MJ and Kobe.
Random but kind of funny illustration of this: In the 2002 film Like Mike, an orphan played by Lil Bow Wow acquires a magical pair of sneakers purported to have once belonged to Michael Jordan that give him incredible basketball talents. Despite the title and inciting incident being direct references to MJ, it is shown repeatedly throughout the film that the protagonist’s favorite player, the one whose jersey number he wears and whose style he copies, is Allen Iverson.
This my goat right here idc my favorite player EVER!!!!!
Love this! Hope that you enjoy 🔥
Iverson definitely popularized cornrows as well as having tattoos everywhere (along with rodman)
Also, in general, if you're good enough at both football and basketball, basketball is usually the way to go due to the longer potential career and earnings financially....and far less CTE to deal with beyond the playing career....you only really pick football over basketball or baseball if you're not projected very high as a prospect in basketball or baseball
Allen Iverson was a warrior, the man left his heart on the court every night. No play was taken easy when he played. He hustled for every ball. He attacked the rim relentlessly despite his small size... getting beat up by the bigs in the paint, and he'd just get up and continue. Not to mention he is one of the most influential NBA players in terms of changing the culture of the NBA.
He was a animal in college sir. I was a kid around that time and his hype was unreal. Back then( mid 90's) college basketball was at it's apex. The conference AI's team played in ( Big East) had tough competition, however AI averaged 25 ppg as a sophomore! It was unheard of for a undersized guard to be that good early on, besides maybe Chris Jackson or Isiah Thomas.
His mom wanted him to play basketball but he preferred football.
Regarding Kobe in the draft: something that gets glossed over constantly with Kobe is that he was very much like most straight from highschool players; in that he needed a couple of seasons to develop. There is this narrative that Kobe was dominant from day 1, and that is nowhere near the reality. He wasn't a starter until year 3, he averaged 7.6 ppg his rookie year. Iverson was a much more reliable bet to at least be above average, but kobe had a higher ceiling. The only high school player that can make any claim of immediate dominance is lebron.
Should have reacted to his Ultimate Mixtape.
Was one suggested a lot on our Discord. Appreciate the suggestion, thank you 🙏
So glad you guys are are reviewing Allen Iverson. I grew up watching Allen Iverson as a kid. I actually have his old-school black Philadelphia 76ers jersey, and I made the mistake of having braids like him as a kid because I did not look good with those braids at all. Lol.
😅😅 Thanks for the comment Michael
For me, Iverson is in that category of players who, as good as they were, were probably more famous due to their importance to the the culture of the game than their actual abilities, similar to someone like Vince Carter. Most people don’t consider Iverson in the GOAT conversation and probably not even greatest at his position, but his status as a cultural icon of the game is pretty much at that level.
It was both his cultural and play equally. His ability at his size was uncanny... He played like he was 6'7 and took a offensively depleted Sixers far in the post season..... H e was basically a 5'11 Jordan minus the off court work ethic.
If he couldn't produce on the court, no one would have known about his culture impact. His game and production shed light on his personal life, not the other way around. He averaged a third of his teams points...A THIRD...A THIRD.....This small human joined a 17 win team (or something like that), and they were a playoff team by year two. No one else on that team made that much of a difference...
Practice? We talkin about practice? Legendary
I know I'm suppose to be there
He is often portrayed as being the guy who never really made it. But he did put 24,000 points in the net and his points per game average is seventh all the time.
For a period of time he was the best basketball player in the NBA and pound for pound in physical stature he is probably the greatest player to ever play. The only exception would be wilt chamberlain.
Such a great era. Watching Vince and Iverson go at it all the time, was so awesome. Two of the the greatest!
his college career was definitely pretty great, and he led his team to deep post-season runs in both of his years. but more than that, sometimes there are players at the college level who just rip through the opposition in unique ways that everybody is pretty sure will make them highly productive, even unstoppable, at the pro level. so he got good results, but he also just showcased his preternatural abilities to the decision-makers at the professional level.
AI is one of a handful of players who displayed 100% effort on every play of every game. He treated every possession as if he was playing for his life. Because of his size and style he constantly played injured also. I remember a graphic during the 2001 finals showing a dozen or so injuries he had, including a fractured tailbone, toe, and finger.
I remember that vividly. It was a black outline of his body with a red dot signifying every injury he had, and it lit up like a freaking Christmas tree. And as you pointed out, he had _multiple_ injuries that normally a person wouldn't be able to play through. He might have been the toughest basketball player ever. I didn't care he didn't practice hard... he _killed_ himself during _games_
5:32 the Famous Crossover on Michael Jordan
Kobe came straight out from High School, hence the later overall pick.
Ahhh that’s the context we were missing, thank you for this
he had a cross over that other players imitated...
The media treated him like Marshawn Lynch while he played. Misrepresented them as trouble making, team destroying thugs and then praised them after they retired once the media sources changed from sport meedia outlets to player led. His infamous practice rant wasn't even about not practicing like the media wrote, but it's what most people remember when they hear his name unfortunately. Even the NBA changed the dress code once he came in with his own style. He wasn't a "ball hog" or "selfish". He was a great player doing everything he could to drag his teams to playoffs. Even this video brings up misconceptions about him just to sound good
Marshawn Lynch is a great comparison!
Georgetown's was a team that was based around the center position. No guard at Georgetown had ever got the green-light from John Thompson like Iverson. He would have gone to college for football if not for his arrest. John Thompson gave him an opportunity after he was pardoned. That is why he went to Georgetown.. After Jordan retired, Iverson was the most popular player in the NBA.
You guys should react to Hall of Fame speeches. You'd love em once you get to know more about certain pro athletes
Appreciate the suggestion, these sound awesome, what’s better, individual ones or collaborations? thank you 🙏
@DNReacts Guys I would recommend individual ones. Think of the athletes you've "Gotten to know" through reactions and go with some of them. You've seen mic'd up, trash talking, backgrounds on their past etc. But HOF speeches you see who they REALLY are as a person.
@@DNReactsShaq, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre (His current issues aside) Iverson, are a few I really enjoyed to see.
Been waiting for this one!!
🔥🔥🔥
AI is one of the most influential player's in history. Dennis Rodman started the tattoos but people looked at it as a joke. AI started the tattoos phase, helping to bring hip-hop culture into the mainstream by wearing cornrows, braids, and baggy clothes. When he did it than every other athlete in other sports started doing it, he paved the way for how alot how athlete's look today.
He definitely brought in corn rows and tats. Rodman had his since 93-94 his first year with the spurs. 4-5 years before AI got really tatted up around 97-98. And no players in any sport we’re getting tats in that interim. So he definitely was the main one for that too! He’s probably the most influential athlete ever. As far as people mimicking your physical appearance goes! Everybody and their mom had braids and tats.
Comments, you think they'd like the KG story? The interview with John Thompson would be a phenomenal first time reaction to introduce people to KG and his intensity and trash talk stories
Oh hell yeah, I think they'll appreciate the passion that KG brought to each game.
Iverson always said he was a better football player than a basketball player.
Allen iverson put in the work he just didn’t dedicate his whole life to basketball compared to mj and Kobe . He didn’t let the sport assumed his whole life
as a black kid born in the 90’s, AI is the number one influence for cornrows
We have had cornrows in the black communities since the 1960s, my young friend.
@@areguapiri im aware AI didn’t invent them lol
Accurate depiction of AI. I was never the biggest fan, not into inefficient players. Except for early Westbrook, but that’s another story. I do think the depiction of him not practicing gives a bit of a skewed view, as if he didn’t care as much as some others. I think he just viewed practice differently. He always gave more than everyone else on the court, right up there with Kobe. I just don’t think he thought that monotonous discipline would help. But I think he wanted to win as much as anyone else. Also, being so small, he’d get knocked around a ton and I think he needed to rest a lot.
I believe he also mentioned he felt it was a time for him to recover since he had to do so much while playing.
Dude apparently never once lifted weights while in the NBA either. Kinda nuts.
I had similar thought processes. I didn't like Iverson when I was young, but came to appreciate him more around the time he retired. I also was a big Westbrook fan in the first half of his career, but he has become among the most frustrating players recently for me.
U need to also take into account the era he played in. Efficiency for ANY guard wasn’t an option in that era, let alone a smaller one. The spacing, physicality, and style of the game impacted everyone’s efficiency to a large degree.
i just wanted to say that the Kyrios comparison is a liiiittle different. The practice thing was a bit blown out of porportion just because of the infamous speech on "practice". He wanted to win VERY badly, but that ego drive is also what lead him to not fully succeed because it was too hard for his ego to sort of take a step back from his high usage rate style of play that lead him to be one of the top players ever, and transition more into a trusting/team oriented style of basketball.
AI is an absolute dog, the comment from Kobe says it all. I think his biggest weakness was tied to his strength, his confidence/bravado caused empty possessions. However, you always knew he could go for 40, played with tremendous energy and was great at getting to the FT line. I always marveled at his fearlessness, jumping around like a nimble cat in the paint with the tall treed Defenders haha. He is an icon
Another reason a lot of athletes go with basketball over football (especially now) is for injury concerns. You are far less likely to suffer from CTE after a career in the NBA. Sure your knees and back are probably shot, but at least your brain isn't pummeled into senility by the time you're 50.
Stop believing that CTE nonsense.
@@areguapiriexcuse me? This is a conspiracy theory I'm unfamiliar with.
Iverson's preference was actually football, but no football programs offered him an opportunity. He went with baskeball because John Thompson took a chance on him. He would have been a hall of famer in football as well had he gone that path. His playing style in basketball indicates he would have been unusually tough and durable in football as well.
I was a high school two sport start in NC shortly after Iverson. From my experience, he most likely chose basketball due to colleges not wanting to give him a shot a playing QP on the college level. This was the era when the Dual Threat QB was just becoming fashionable. I dealt with the same issues being recruited. Either you were a pocket passer, or an option QB. Offenses had yet to be designed for dual threats in general. Add to that he was undersized...this was before the Drew Brees' and Russell Wilson's became prominent as undersized QBs. Charlie Ward is a good example of why Iverson chose basketball.
Kobe wasn’t happy that his hometown team picked AI over him. Kobe got his payback when he killed us in the 2001 Finals; our last time we made it that far 😭
AI #3
Bryce Harper #3
Appreciate the info Jaime, hope you’re good 😀
Quit making up fanfiction. Shaq killed y’all. Kobe just shot any survivors
John Thompson was a legend as a coach
Corn rows were around, but he may have been the first in "polite society"
He was a great high school football player, but he was small. And he knew he wasn't going to get much bigger.
And if you want to talk about a crazy usage rating we need to talk about some of these pro futbol players 😅
Additional context on AI's greatness in that Finals game: that was the _ONLY LOSS_ the Lakers had in the _entire playoffs_ that season. Iverson prevented them from being the only team in NBA history to sweep their way through every round of the playoffs. Winning in _the Finals_ against _that team_ with the paucity of help on his squad (that Philly team is in the running for the worst team to ever make a Finals, along with LeBron's first Cavaliers squad) is only surpassed by LeBron winning against a 73-win team after being down 3-1. Iverson was the most feared player of the era between Jordan and Kobe, even more than Shaq, because he just relentlessly attacked and couldn't be stopped. I remember a graphic they showed in the Finals of all the injuries he was playing through with a outline of a human body and a red dot for every injury. And he just lit up like a Christmas tree. And some of these were _major_ injuries, the kind of things normal people can't play through, like bone spurs, tendon injuries, _bursitis in his shooting arm,_ fractures, and sprains. He was like the Terminator. Just impacable and inexorable. You really had to be there to appreciate it.
practise? practise? I mean, listen, we talking bout practise.
Not here to rag on you but edit the comment for Practice 😂
@@officialzacht if you mean the spelling of "practice/practise".....
Brits spell the word both ways depending whether it's used as a noun or a verb.....
same with some of us old Canajuns.
and I know A.I. said it in Merican...... but it's a Brit channel and they are desperately trying to hold onto their dying O.E. language eh.
@@JuandeFucaU I appreciate the lesson and I have learned something today.
@@officialzacht the "defence" rests your "honour".
AI changed the culture of basketball. He merged hip hop and basketball, made tattoos and cornrows mainstream.
Every baller loved AI and he is still beloved.
his size would be an issue in football as a QB, not in college but the NFL. The NFL especially back in the 90's hated short QB's just look what they did to Doug Flute. AI had a promising future in Basketball and way better chances to make it to the NBA than the NFL
Imagine if Iverson had played soccer... could've been a world class striker with that speed and dawg mentality
Cornrows has never been a trend in our community it comes with history. It goes back to Africa. So the word trend should be used for the others that wear cornrows.
Should have done the Iverson Mixtape.
A better compound highlights
His college career was good from an individual standpoint, if it wasn’t for him going to jail he would’ve probably been on a better college team like duke or NC
You should have watched "how good was Allen Iverson really" by Jonny Arnett. this video doesn't talk about how good he actually was he's more of a shooting guard than a point guard he's 4th all time in scoring among guards and miles ahead of anyone at his size also his shooting is much better compared to other shooting guards etc. He also is second all time in points per game in the playoffs just behind Jordan.
Iverson is the reason why almost every NBA player now is covered in tattoos and why so many of them wear arm (and now leg) sleeves. He changed the culture surrounding basketball. Steph Curry changed the game itself but not the culture around it. Both achievements are great in and of themselves and people can debate forever which is actually more important.
Check out Terry Tate Office Linebacker
lmao 😂😂
Appreciate the suggestion, thank you 🙏
2000-01 Allen Iverson season was Incredible he carried the Philadelphia 76ers to the NBA Finals he's derisive the MVP award and earned everyone respect
Partly due to AI they made the players have a minimum dress code.
Iverson is the reason that players are allowed to wear anything game day. Before that everyone had to wear suits. NFL then followed suit.
Might sound crazy but He picked basketball over football because he didn’t like lifting weights
Oh wow, thanks for the info, that’s crazy, but fair enough 🙏
I found myself not liking the guys video lol. Made AI seem selfish and lazy. Amd thats not true. He doing exactly what the media was doing to AI when he played. For one you'd be hard to find mamy people that hated allen. Hell him his coach didnt really get along amd he loved him. Two AI did practice and put in work. U dont just wake up and become an nba player. Lol.
Ai is my 🐐 he will always be the Philly legend
The longevity of your career are reasons why most players don't pick football over any other sport.
I can see this, makes sense Tim. Thanks for this
Fun fact I went to the same high school as he did. I’m from Hampton
Love this, that’s awesome!
he was on my flight the other day lol
That is awesome Daniel 😅
I think Iverson chose basketball over football because someone his size would get crushed in the NFL. In general most NBA players make more money and have longer careers than NFL players also. Even though the NFL makes a ton of money they have 52 people on a team versus 15 in basketball so it gets spread more thinly.
I ran into AI back in 2002 at the Atlantis hotel in the Bahamas. He had a full on entourage with him. He was walking through the restaurant, lobby area and was wearing a big puffy coat. Didn't make sense when it's 85 degrees outside but I guess wanted to look cool. His security didn't let anyone get close to him and he didn't stop for pictures or autographs but he wasn't a dick about it. He waved back to us and others on his way out, they all loaded up in some blacked out SUVs and left. Didn't see him again the rest of the week.
My #1 favorite player of all time - and I've been going to games since '88.
Wrong video though. You want "Allen Iverson Ultimate Career Mixtape": ruclips.net/video/3W14pRfhO4k/видео.htmlsi=-eAACZwm3lz_fIME
Also, what this video said about him practicing isn't true either. Chris Webber went to Philly in his later years and said he'd never seen anyone play harder in game than Iverson because he also practiced harder than anyone he'd ever seen.
By the way, it's CAP that Shaq was the most dominant center ever. Wilt FREAKING Chamberlain was the most dominant center ever. The man averaged 50 and 20 in a season while averaging _more minutes than there are minutes in a normal game_ because he'd play every minute of every game including overtime. Then he followed it up by leading the league in assists. The two chips he won were on the two winningest teams _of all time_ at that point (he helped break his own team record with his second Lakers championship... in which he won the Finals MVP, during the twilight of his career, with _Jerry West_ on his team). Recency bias is a bitch.
AI changed the culture, one of the most influential players ever
Love this!
Y'all gotta do Tracy McGrady sometime
Whoop Whoop ❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
🔥🔥🔥
Iverson didn't win because he never had good teams, not because he didn't practice 🤦🏾♀️
long overdue
You should see the size of our list 🤣🤣🤣
@@DNReacts I don’t doubt it 😂
You guys are watching the wrong video. You have to watch Allen Iverson's mixtape video and everything from Basketball and Football are there.
People forget that Kobe was a rookie on a team with Shaq...no way this young kid was getting significant playing time as a rookie, but AI was on a pretty bad team that actually NEEDED him to play.
I always assumed it was his size that made him decide on basketball, he was 6ft tall and generally speaking most, not all, sucessfull pro quarterbacks are taller than 6ft 2in....So it was far more likely to have been drafter higher, as he was since he was the 1st overall pick in the NBA draft and uless he lit the college football world on fire he would have probably ended up a mid to late round pick in the NFL which would have affected his wallet....But again that is just my assumption....
Kobe - You know I am the best in the league.
Iverson - You are not even the best on your team.
Quarterbaks being drafted at less than even 6'2 is a fairly modern chamge to the league. Looked it up and only 10 qbs that height or smaller would have ever started a game at the time AI came out. Iverson could have been great, but even with his talent, I dont know if he would have gotten the chance at the pro level even if his football scholarships wouldn't have been pulled.
Let me put in perspective: Coach John Robinson (RIP) NEVER let any of his players leave early... EVER. Not Patrick Ewing, not Alonzo Mourning.... AI was the very first one.
Chris Paul and lob city clippers era would be a great reaction video💪🏾🤾🏾♂️
Appreciate the suggestion Tommy, thank you 🙏
you guys obviously wasn't listening close enough and took the complete wrong thing from the video. AI didn't not win a championship because he wasn't dedicated enough and didn't reach his full potential, he didn't win because he didn't have the player around him. even with him going against the grain he still was one of the best PG in history who couldn't be stopped by some of the other best players in history. he reached his potential while going against the grain, that's what made him so polarizing.
I always thought Stevie Wonder popularized cornrows
Don't let the young generation make you think they invented everything. Yes, we've been "plaiting" our hair (cornrows) since the 60s and 70s.
Iverson wasnt even involved in the fight. He got railroaded.
AI is way better than you think he is. He was the player more NBA players were terrified of than any other. Dude is 5’11” and change. I don’t think you are appreciating how insane it is for someone his size to win MVP as a primary scorer. Iverson repeatedly schooled Kobe when they actually matched up. He was a better defender as well. Led the league in steals 3 years in a row.
People try to dog on Iverson that he enjoyed his free time rather than devoting it all to practicing, or for not sacrificing for the team. And yet he was battling painful injuries and still putting up insane numbers as a tiny dude doing crazy minutes most of his career. For a garbage organization that did not provide him with support; he single handedly took a “meh” team to the Finals.
The world was out to take him down at a young age.. they tried to unjustly lock him up and ruin him. If scoring big points makes you big money, can you blame him for going out for self? Basketball doesn’t have to be life for everyone; it can also just be a profession. And still he was so good we are talking about him amongst the all time greats. At 5’11”.
to answer the question of why he chose basketball, was probably similar to a guy like charlie ward. charlie ward won a heisman in college football but didnt enter his name in the draft because running qbs werent looked at like how they are now. is was very discouraged to play that style of qb weather it was successful or not. so he would have likely changed his position to something he didnt want to do so why do it lol.
The disrespect!!!! Comparing Iverson to Kyrios?!?😮 Never!!! Kyrios has proven he’s a jerk! The media dubbed him a bad boy because of how he dressed & cornrows and baggy clothes was considered thug attire. Iverson didn’t conform and therefore considered bad. He played his heart out on the court injured w/ team he literally had to carry on his back. I would NOT compare his work ethic to Kyrios. In Philadelphia he is beloved!!!😂 And yes I’m from Philadelphia.
As a white kid from NY I moved to Florida in 03. Had a buddies wife that did the hair and wanted to see if she could do it to a white kids hair. Worst 2 hours of my life. But she did it. It was a big thing then. Dont worry I took them out after a week. lmao Iverson was like Vick. All the talent in the world but didnt have the work ethic or the dedication to be great.
Cornrows we’re originally a hairstyle that was related to slavery, or rather a resistance to slavery at least here in America. I myself grew up in a very poor area in Philadelphia and didn’t really start seeing cornrows until the mid nineties, but AI and Donavan McNabb definitely made them much more popular especially here.
Correct now we do twist,locs, and dreads
@@thaddeusjones540 that’s right thank you. Sorry I’m whiter than a cream cheese bagel in a Prius
We've had cornrows since the 1960. Back then and in the 70s and 80s, we called it "plaiting our hair".
If he would have just listened to his coach hell of a lot sooner he would have had a ship
Wow never heard the Nick Kyrgios comparison before but it was apt, except the fact that Iverson was much bigger in the US than Kyrgios has ever been in tennis, but their personalities and career trajectories do seem similar
NBA contracts are guaranteed and NFL ones aren't.
Appreciate that info Neil, thank you 🙏
NFL contracts "are" guaranteed. It's just called "a signing bonus". Same meaning.
@@areguapiri no its not. Signing bonus is a small part of the contract. NBA contracts are almost always fully guaranteed. BIG difference
Do Russell Westbrook MVP year
Appreciate the suggestion, thank you 🙏