Allen Iverson had a spectacular rookie season in the NBA. He rightfully won the Rookie of the Year award and became the brightest rising star in the league. However, Iverson revealed that his big boys’ league debut season wasn’t all sunshine and lollipops.
The legendary guard recalled how Scottie Pippen insulted him in front of the other Chicago Bulls players in the middle of a game. The belittling sentence that Pippen casually told him that night had been ingrained in his memory.
As a newcomer, Iverson knew that even if he wanted to clap back, he didn’t have anything to throw at a multi-time champion like Pippen. Left with no choice, he just let it slide, but admittedl,y it hurt him deep down inside.
“I’ll never forget my rookie season in Philly,” Iverson recalled. “I was coming in the league and I wanted to make a name for myself. I always knew I had the ability, and I thought it was my time to prove it. But sometimes, I tried too much. And I remember Scottie Pippen. I was at the free throw line one game and he asked me, “Where you get your shoes from? Kids’ R’ Us?” And the rest of the guys started laughing.”
“I guess it was because I was a rookie and I had my own sneakers, or whatever,” he continued. “I didn’t say nothing back to him. They were beating us to death; I didn’t find it too amusing.”
Iverson didn’t back down from the Bulls
Even though Iverson understood that he wouldn’t stand a chance against Pippen or any of the Bulls’ star players in trash-talking, he didn’t feel the same way in terms of playing. Understandably, The Answer could no longer remember every bit of his first game against the Bulls. Still, he would never forget how he competed against the then-defending champs.
Apart from Pippen, the other intimidating figure in Chicago at the time was Michael Jordan. Like any other player from his era, Iverson also grew up idolizing the Bulls superstar. He was supposed to be starstruck or nervous for obvious reasons, but Iverson confidently stated that he never felt one bit of intimidation when he faced Jordan.
“It was just wild. I can’t even remember the feeling. Just me being on his court, playing against world champions and the greatest basketball player in the world,” the Hall of Famer told Slam Magazine.
“I wasn’t out there crazy in awe or anything like that — ’cause that’s just not me,” he stressed. “I’m in the same profession you [Jordan] are and I respect you and what you did for your family and team, but once we get on the dance floor, I’m in a whole’ nother mode.”
Iverson was the epitome of mental toughness
What Iverson experienced during his first on-court encounter with Jordan and Pippen was just one of the many obstacles he had to endure as a rookie. On the flipside, he knew Pippen was right, as his small stature had always been the chip on his shoulder.
But instead of letting his disadvantage consume him, Iverson proved everybody wrong. He demonstrated a remarkable mental toughness and went on to become one of the most relentless competitors of his time.