Allen Iverson couldn’t help but feel for LeBron James after the Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2017 NBA Finals. At that point, Iverson was torn between being a huge LeBron fan and wanting to see Kevin Durant win a title.
Iverson believed that nothing beats the fulfillment of winning a championship, and he didn’t want to see his favorite players experience losing in the Finals. With that in mind, A.I. was glad to witness KD win the chip with the Warriors.
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For Iverson, knowing firsthand how much it stings to lose in the Finals was enough for him to root for the Warriors that year. It was exactly how he felt for Charles Barkley when he lost to the Chicago Bulls in 1993, as well as Patrick Ewing when the New York Knicks lost to the San Antonio Spurs in 1999, and the rest of the legends who made it to the Finals only to lose.
“I love Kyrie [Irving]. I love Tyronn Lue. You know what I mean? But I want to see Durant win, because he ain’t never did it,” Iverson said as he watched the Warriors celebrate their championship win in 2017. “I love his mama. I love everything he stands for.”
“That’s the only reason I was going for Golden State,” he admitted. “I want Durant to feel what I never got the chance to feel and they deserve it. I wanted Bakley to feel it. I wanted Ewing to feel it. Because LeBron’s gonna win some more. He’s gonna do it.”
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Iverson badly wanted to win one for the Sixers
Taking a quick trip down memory lane, Iverson had his best season in 2000-01. He was the most dominant player in the league at the time and the Philadelphia 76ers were projected as championship contenders with him leading the charge.
That was if he could also beat the odds and get the better of the Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant-led Los Angeles Lakers. Unfortunately for The Answer, the Lakers were too much for the Sixers and they lost in the lopsided championship series.
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It was the only time Iverson made it to the Finals. He knew he could’ve joined a championship team late in his career, but he never wanted to do it.
“I don’t want a championship where I’m 35, 40 years old, take a pay cut and go play for the team that everybody in the media is saying is gonna win it,” remarked the 76ers legend. “I don’t want it that way. I don’t want that championship.”
“I want it (a title) in Philadelphia, simple as that,” he pointed out.
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Iverson and the long list of ringless legends
In light of Iverson’s sentiments, the harsh truth about the NBA is that many great players are being discredited just for not winning a championship. Iverson is one of the top players on that long list, and that being said, it’s totally understandable that he doesn’t want to see more legends get disrespected because of failing to win a title.
On the other hand, there are also passionate fans who appreciate the greatness of NBA legends who never won a championship. For them, rings aren’t everything and every great player deserves their flowers, regardless of if they have a ring on their finger to show for.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 5, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.