Allen Iverson 2001 MVP Season Highlights
Prime AI was just a treat to watch
100%. You knew he was gonna try his best and just ball out no matter what.
Would have THRIVED in this era with more spacing and better shooting. Unbelievable talent! Favorite player of all-time
Analytics wouldve killled him unfortunately just like how they did Russ
His efficiency would have went waaaay up the way fouls are called now. More FTs + less FGA on shots he goes to the line, I have no doubt he’d have a great TS%
Whenever you hear someone dismiss him as an “inefficient shot chucker” just stop talking basketball with them.
100%.
He shot decently in Denver. His % looks bad in Philly because…well that’s just how the offense was constructed.
This. just ask their age. and move on.
Such a magical run that year.
People also tend to forget after the Sixers Game 1 win in LA, Games 2-3 were tight and back and forth games before the Lakers pulled away in the 4th quarters.
Games 4-5 the Lakers smoked them but the totally outmatched Sixers put up a good fight that year.
Miss your game AI!
Prime AI was pure entertainment because every possession felt like he was about to embarrass somebody.
The thumbnail picture alone goes so hard
Before Steph inspired a generation to shoot threes; AI inspired a generation to cross people up. I had the Anklebreakers CD on loop back in the day.
I hated AI after he ruined the Lakers’ 2001 run but I come to terms with that lol. You can say I now absolutely love AI.
However, I won’t say AI was the first to popularize the crossover. That would be Tim Hardaway, though AI took it one level further.
And before Hardaway there was Zeke who also had a fantastic “inside the box” crossover just like Hardaway.
AI was the first to popularize the “outside of the box” crossover where you actually cross the ball outside the frame of your body.
It’s kind of hard to explain this, it is much easier to put a ball in my hands so I can show you lol.
You’re right. Zeke was probably the first to make the crossover cool.
The behind the back to Kukoc, who goes over the head back to Iverson was art
Fearless, man
I think AI is the kind of player that needs a bit of context to grasp the cultural importance. If you just watch the highlights and only started watching recently, you might not think he was such a beast. Many of the moves are done on a regular basis in the NBA nowadays. But AI brought this kind of swagger to the game. It wasnt there before.
This for all the people who never watched him play, just look up the stats, and claim he was an “inefficient volume scorer.”
People who knows balls know that Iverson’s % was bad in Philly because he was shouldering everything.
At Denver, he shot the ball decently.