“I always had to protect you” – Allen Iverson confronted Shaquille O’Neal for tucking his chain in every time he was in Los Angeles originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Fellow NBA legends Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson had an intriguing and candid conversation during a podcast session last year. The pair reminisced about a lot of things, including the early days of their friendship, specifically why O’Neal often hid Iverson’s chain under his shirt whenever they linked up in Los Angeles.
Years have passed, but to this day, Iverson still wonders why O’Neal had to do that. The former Philadelphia 76ers superstar grabbed the opportunity to hear it from Shaq himself in their one-on-one discussion.
O’Neal didn’t beat around the bush and answered right away. He told Iverson straight up that he was doing it for his safety.
“Every time I went to L.A., I had my chain out and then he’ll tuck it in,” Iverson told O’Neal on “The Big Podcast.” “He’ll tuck my chain in and then, [but] I’m seeing interviews [of Shaq], I’m seeing you on TV, and what you rock? I seen the Superman Chain, man.”
“Yeah, but I was in the area and I knew certain people [there],” Shaq responded to A.I. “I’m just saying, I knew certain people and I ain’t want you out there, you know what I’m saying? So, I always had to protect you.”
Shaq has always admired Allen
The connection between O’Neal and Iverson was nothing short of extraordinary. Though Shaq was undoubtedly the most dominant big man during his prime, he was admittedly a huge fan of the shifty point guard, who was a much smaller player.
In fact, O’Neal once confessed to letting Iverson score on him during games. According to Shaq, there were moments when he could’ve blocked Allen’s shot, but he would let it go in because of his admiration for him.
“There were guys that when we played them, I was such a fan, I let them do what they wanted on me. White Chocolate (Jason Williams), I want him to go to work. Vince Carter, A.I. (Allen Iverson) and Tracy McGrady. Every time we played A.I., I liked him crossing over and he was tough. I could’ve blocked his shot multiple times, I just didn’t want to,” O’Neal said in an interview with Bleacher Report.
A.I. was like a “little Shaq”
Unlike other NBA all-time greats who only became friends with each other when their careers were finally over, O’Neal and Iverson bonded at the peak of their playing years. Even back then, there was already mutual admiration and respect between them.
In 2001, they faced off in the NBA Finals, but that didn’t affect their friendship at all. If anything, Shaq and A.I.’s relationship has grown stronger since then.
It wasn’t only O’Neal who appreciated Iverson. The 2001 NBA MVP also recognized Shaq’s qualities both as a player and a person. In fact, Iverson took great pride in being labeled by some fans and analysts as Baby Shaq due to his resemblance to the legendary big man in terms of being a dominant player on the court.
For Iverson, O’Neal is the greatest center of all time. On the other hand, Shaq recognizes Allen as one of the fiercest competitors he has ever faced.
The friendship between the two icons of the game has already endured the test of time. Ultimately, they proved that true camaraderie could still take place between two literal opposites.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 27, 2025, where it first appeared.