Much like any basketball fan who grew up in the 1980s, Allen Iverson was hooked on Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. There was always something about MJ’s aura on the court that captivated A.I., and he couldn’t help but idolize him from afar. The same could be said for the Bulls, a team that almost always felt invincible whenever they stepped onto the hardwood floor.
At some point, Iverson’s enthusiasm for the Bulls began to shift. The pivot became noticeable when he joined the Philadelphia 76ers in 1996 after they selected him first overall in the draft. Now, having a front row seat to see how Chicago actually played, Allen admitted to not viewing the Bulls through the same rose-colored glasses as he did in his childhood.
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Things looked different on the court
Growing up as a Bulls fan, Iverson was well-versed with how the team played and how dominant they were, especially in the 1990s, when they won six NBA titles in eight seasons. He admired not just their style of play, but more so the resilience they showed. No matter how many times MJ and Scottie Pippen got knocked down by the bullies of the East, the Detroit Pistons and the New York Knicks, they always dusted themselves off and came back stronger.
But as a competitor on the court now, Iverson saw things in a different light. He recognized that the Bulls were an intensely competitive team, embodying the relentless spirit of MJ, their undisputed leader. Their unwavering determination to win was evident in every game, as they went to great lengths to unsettle their opponents and throw them off their rhythm.
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“I remember Scottie Pippen when the Knicks used to beat him all up,” Iverson shared. “And then now, for them to talk s—t to me on the court while I’m playing?”
The NBA was rarely ever kind to newcomers, and the Bulls, in particular, were like sharks that sensed blood in the water. This was evident when they faced off against Iverson and his Sixers for the first time on November 2, 1996. In that game, Chicago was on The Answer like white on rice, holding him down to only 15 points on 4-for-13 shooting. A.I. also coughed the ball up five times and finished with the worst +/- in the game at -30.
The Bulls let him hear about it
Iverson admitted that, despite his enduring admiration for the Bulls as basketball legends who shaped the game, he had started to feel a trace of resentment toward them. In that lopsided game, they were relentless — like a pack of determined dogs, they pursued him at every turn and seized every opportunity to remind him of their dominance.
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“I still love Pip today and Mike and Dennis Rodman, ’cause they great basketball players,” he said. “Then to hear the way they talk shit on the court, I’m like, ‘Dog, I remember when you didn’t say s—t on the court, you know you was so humble and you wouldn’t say nothing on the court, and now even you talk s—t?'”
“I was a Bulls fanatic. Because I love Mike, I love Pippen, I love Horace Grant and B.J. Armstrong and Paxson, Luc Longley, Cartwright and I just loved the Bulls,” he continued. “And now that I play them, I hate them.”
Iverson’s disdain for the Bulls was not unusual. It mirrored the feelings most NBA players had towards the dominant team of the 1990s. How could they not dislike the Chicago dynasty when they knew battling them was like trying to keep water from flowing?
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 26, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.