The crossover, one of Allen Iverson‘s most well-known skills, even managed to get the great Michael Jordan onto skates in 1997. The famous play that the Philadelphia 76ers guard made against Michael Jordan during his rookie season became well-known and is still fresh in the minds of supporters. Iverson seems to have been organizing the relocation for a while.
The purpose of AI’s deadly crossover jumper on Jordan was to make a statement. Iverson stated on The Knuckleheads Podcast,
“I was telling all my friends and family that if I ever got a chance, if he [Michael Jordan] ever guarded me, I was gonna try my move on the greatest player that ever played…So I knew I was gonna do it.”
The former guard for the Sixers acknowledged that he wasn’t anxious before attempting the maneuver. He said,
“I was young and just confident. So my heart did one thumping or nothing like that I won’t. I did it like I would do it any other time,”
With this play, it appears that Iverson was able to make a statement against Jordan. Years later, the NBA guard talked about one of his interactions with His Airness at a Charlotte Hornets game on Shannon Sharpe’s show. The Bulls icon, AI joked to Sharpe, is still upset over the action that caused so much controversy.
AI confessed his love to Jordan in the backroom while they were drinking. The six-time NBA champion, in response, said, “You don’t love me, you lil bit**.” If you had, you wouldn’t have misled me in such a way.
But as a child growing up in the late 80s and early 90s, Iverson did appreciate Michael Jackson.
