Michael Jordan was a hero and source of inspiration for every youngster entering the NBA in the mid-to-late 1990s. Allen Iverson was no different, as he looked up to the Chicago Bulls guard from day one.
However, going into his first matchup against his idol, A.I. was determined to send the message to MJ despite having doubters in his locker room.
"I got a lot of flak from my teammates. They were teasing me, 'You're not going to play your game tonight because you play against your guy, you not going to come with it.' I was being this tough guy with them, but then I walked out there and saw him; I was a fan - that's what I've always been, " Iverson said in an interview with Complex. "That was my guy; he was my hero, but once they threw that ball in the air, you going to remember 23 tonight like you always have, but when you leave here, you going to remember No. 3 too."
Never meet your heroes
Their first-ever matchup took place on November 02, 1996, with the Bulls legend delivering a masterclass and showcasing why he was the best player in the world.
MJ finished the contest with 27 points, two rebounds, five assists, and four steals, leading his team to a 29-point victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. The Georgetown product scored 15 points but only shot 4-for-13 from the field.
However, in their next meeting on December 21, A.I. justified why he was the No. 1 pick of the 1996 draft by outshining Mike and dropping a game-high 32 points. Jordan finished with 31 and led Chicago to a 111-105 victory.
Still, the six-foot rookie outsourcing the best player in the NBA might have left MJ feeling a little salty. So, when the two came face-to-face during the 1997 All-Star weekend, Michael wasn't friendly to Allen.
"The first time I ever talked to him was that year, playing in the Rookie Game. That was the year they did the Top 50 of all time when they had the jackets on and all that, and I saw him," Iverson added. "I'll never forget it because he said, 'What's up, you little bit*h.' I looked at him like, 'Alright, man.'"
Related: "I stay away from him when I'm walking" - Michael Jordan named the only athlete he ever feared
A.I.'s crossover on MJ
A month later, on March 12, 1997, Iverson and Jordan met again. With an opportunity to get back at his idol, the Sixers guard stole the show with an iconic crossover.
(That crossover) was indicative of how I felt as far as being fearless on the court," Iverson told NBA.com. "We was at war. I looked at him as anybody else being in front of me."
As if that wasn't enough, A.I. also outperformed MJ numbers-wise, scoring 37 points on 65.2% shooting from the field, compared to Jordan's 23 points on 37.5% shooting. However, the Bulls still beat the Sixers 108-104.
Related: When a rookie Allen Iverson trash-talked Michael Jordan: "If you over-respect somebody, that battle is already lost"
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