Allen Iverson was a fierce scorer in an era where his biggest competitor was Kobe Bryant. It gave him the confidence to say he could fit right in with today’s NBA class and even average 43 points. He knew when he made that comment that he was opening himself up to opposing opinions. One of them came from ESPN veteran Brian Windhorst, who didn’t think The Answer could keep up. When asked if he had anything to say to Windhorst, AI said, “God bless him.”
He’s not changing his opinion but he’s comfortable with Windhorst stating his. “That’s his opinion. I mean, I’m not mad at that man. That’s the way you think. I’m not mad at him.” Allen Iverson further added, “There’s no way I’m gonna bash him or be mad at him or criticize him for the way he thinks.” He got a bit deep when he said the most “beautiful” thing about expressing an opinion is that you can disagree but you don’t have to be mad about it.
The 2005-06 season was statistically AI’s best, averaging a career-high 33 points per game. That year, Kobe Bryant outscored him with 35.4 PPG. “I lost the scoring title to Kobe the year he averaged 35,” Iverson asserted when he was on his prez, Shaquille O’Neal’s The Big Podcast.
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“I averaged 33. I’m just thinking to play in this era, if I was to play in this era with it wide open, If I can average 33 in a season, I’m gonna take it up to 43. I know 10 more points,” the 2001 MVP told Shaq. This can’t be confirmed unless The Answer comes out of retirement. But it opened the gates for some debate.
NBA pros mad on behalf of AI
Shaquille O’Neal wholeheartedly vouched for AI’s claims. He even said that if they were teammates, they’d be as lethal as he was with the Black Mamba. Windhorst however disagreed vehemently.
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Apart from calling the 76ers legend a “low efficiency player,” Brian Windhorst said that even if AI made 41% of the shots, he’d not match up to the players today.
While Iverson is taking the zen route, other NBA players fired shots at the ESPN analyst. Jason Williams, Carmelo Anthony, and Matt Barnes were a few who blasted Windhorst’s opinion. Williams, who had a hard time playing against Iverson, questioned, “What has Brian Windhorst ever done athletically?”
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A good few fans too ignore Windhorst and prefer to imagine Allen Iverson on the court today. How would that scenario look?
READ MORE: Allen Iverson Wears His Heart on His Sleeve as LeBron James’ Praise Receives Emotional Response