By: Justin Gincauskas
Allen Iverson has made it clear that the second-best player of all time is Kobe Bryant. Talking with Rachel Nichols on Headliners this week, Iverson wanted everyone to know that he ranks Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant as the top two players ever and that everyone else can line up behind them.
After Nichols talked about how Bryant obsessively studied Iverson’s game, Iverson had only good things to say about the Los Angeles Lakers legend.
“I’ve never seen anybody as competitive like him but Mike. That’s it,” Iverson said about Bryant in the interview. “Like when people talk about, you know, favorite players and the best players in the world, you know, I say Mike, and I say Kobe, you know what I mean, and then everyone else.”
Nichols followed up by asking if LeBron James comes after those two, which Iverson responded with, “Definitely. Definitely after that.”
Allen Iverson And Kobe Bryant History
Bryant and Iverson played against each other 29 times in the regular season in their careers. They also played an additional nine games in the playoffs against one another. Bryant holds the advantage over Iverson 24-14, which includes an 8-1 record against Iverson in the postseason.
Iverson made the NBA Finals once in his career, which came in 2001. Iverson’s Philadelphia 76ers would lose in five games to Bryant’s Lakers. Despite the loss, Iverson averaged the most points in the series, averaging 35.6 points per game.
Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson were both drafted in the 1996 NBA Draft. The 76ers selected Iverson with the first overall pick, while Bryant was chosen 13th overall by the Charlotte Hornets before being traded to the Lakers.
In an argument that can never be proven, the greatest of all time debate will heat up after seeing how Iverson ranks Kobe Bryant. I am sure we will see what others have to say about Iverson’s list and where LeBron James should be in the discussion.
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