"Tough as nails, getting knocked all over the place, never missed a game" - Vernon Maxwell recalls playing with Allen Iverson

Allen Iverson was a phenom during his career, cementing himself as one of the greatest scorers in NBA history despite being undersized.

A.I. played with plenty of respected names and left a lasting impression on everyone he shared a locker room with. One of those guys is Vernon Maxwell, who, despite only playing 24 games with Iverson, still looks back fondly at their time together with the Philadelphia 76ers.

"Little-bitty m**********r like that, he was really a two, he wasn't a point (guard), he was a scoring two. I've never seen a little guy like that who weighed 145 pounds wet," Maxwell said on Sheed & Tyler. "Tough as nails, getting knocked all over the place, never missed a game. He'd rather play than practice, though, I know that. That's my guy, though."

Iverson loved being teammates with Maxwell

Allen was always drawn to big personalities, and Maxwell was no different. The guard was infamous for his temper, even getting into it with some of his teammates, particularly Gary Payton .

That happened because Maxwell was trying to protect a rookie, Shammond Williams, who got hit in the face. As a veteran, "Mad Max" went after Payton and held him accountable for the punch. That showed how much Vernon cared for his teammates, which Iverson loved seeing.

Unfortunately for A.I., Maxwell's time with the 76ers was short-lived, as he got cut from the team after only 24 games.

A.I. was a natural superstar

"The Answer" never treated Vernon as the older guy because they had a friendly dynamic, just like players of a similar age. That's why A.I. was angry when Maxwell was removed from the squad, which led to another clash with the Sixers head coach Larry Brown.

The year after Vernon left the 76ers, the team went to the NBA Finals, with Iverson winning the MVP award. "Mad Max" might not have been present, but he had an impact on A.I. by motivating him and making him play more as a ball-handler.

Unfortunately, Allen never won an NBA title. However, he became an NBA icon, someone the basketball community, Maxwell included, will never forget.

Related: Vernon Maxwell on why he'd rather defend Michael Jordan than Drazen Petrovic: "When he got going, there's no cutting his water off"