Philadelphia 76ers icon Allen Iverson announced his arrival on the basketball world stage in the most epic fashion. In his first matchup with Chicago Bulls great Michael Jordan, the feisty 6’0″ guard used his lethal crossover to maximum effect. It freed him up momentarily and gave him enough space to pull up for a jump shot.
Faux cross
To the naked eye, one crossover was all it took to break Jordan’s ankles. A closer look reveals Iverson initially unveiled a faux crossover, a move designed to see how Jordan would react. To the Answer’s surprise, he almost broke MJ’s ankles right then and there.
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“I didn’t even do it for real, and he went for it,” Iverson said, per SLAM.
Jordan respected Iverson so much that he took the matchup seriously. He didn’t want to give the Philly guard any breathing space. Allen immediately noticed Mike’s overeagerness and took advantage of it.
Making one of the greatest defenders almost touch the floor was just one of A.I.’s accomplishments that night. Before tipoff, Iverson had to slap himself silly and get over the fact that he was going to meet his idol in the flesh.
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“I remember the first time I played against him — he didn’t even look human,” he said. “He looked to me on that court the same way he looked when I was a 10-year-old kid looking at him on television. This is the man I wanted to be like.”
At war
It didn’t take long for Iverson to feel comfortable on the hardcourt with his idol. After all, A.I. is a competitor by nature. His mission to power his team to a victory superseded his love for the Bulls guard. From a basketball god way up in the pedestal, Allen saw Mike as an opponent.
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“All I could think about is I had no fear. I feared so many other things off the court, but nothing on the court. (That crossover) was indicative of how I felt as far as being fearless on the court,” Iverson said. “We was at war. I looked at him as anybody else being in front of me.”
This wasn’t an act of disrespect. The greatest thing one can offer to their basketball hero is to put on their best performance when they meet. Iverson saw the opportunity not just to show off to his hero, but also to show the world his own searing basketball talents.
“I wasn’t nervous because, at a lot of times, people look at it as being cocky, arrogant, but it’s confidence, and my whole thing was everybody knows who Black Jesus is,” Allen added. “Everybody knows who number 23 is, but tonight you’re going to know who number 3 is… All I wanted to do is play harder than everybody else.”
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True enough, Iverson’s crossover on Jordan is regarded as one of the sport’s signature moments. It signified the arrival of a bright talent who wasn’t only armed with a lethal move but also an unrelenting attitude for excellence and a fierce competitive spirit.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 31, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.