Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson headline this year’s inductees to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The dominant big man and little man of the 2000s make this class one of the greatest ever to be enshrined. The pair were first named finalists at a ceremony during All-Star Weekend in Toronto, when Sportsnet’s Donnovan Bennett caught up with each to look back on their legacies and discuss the state of the game, dress codes & more.
The following was originally published on April 4, 2016
Bonus! Shaq and Iverson roundtable:
O’Neal: What I always respected about AI is that he did it his way. He only knew one way to play, one way to be. And so people accepted him. I met Iverson when he was at Georgetown. He was always a real cat. On the court he was a real cat. Off the court he was a real cat. I always respected AI. I hate that I had to go at him but we were fighting for the same thing. A lot of people say if you don’t have a championship you’re not a great player. That’s a myth. Allen Iverson is in the top five point guards to ever play the game.
Iverson: When I came in and had the hair and the tattoos I took an ass whooping for it from the media. And now to see guys look the way they want to look, dress like they want to dress, it’s a beautiful thing. Its’ bittersweet but it makes me feel good that I inspired guys to be comfortable in their own skin.
On playing each other during Lakers vs Sixers in the 2001 NBA finals
Iverson: They were the better team, obviously. We ran into Shaquille O’Neal in his prime. We ran into the greatest centre to ever play the game. That’s why I don’t lose sleep over not winning a championship. And then you have the great Kobe Bryant as well. Come on man!
O’Neal: It was actually hard for me to get up to play this guy because usually I can create ways to hate the people I’m playing against but me and [Iverson] have been cool for so long it was hard for me to get up for this guy.
In the first game he went for 55 and we lost. And then his man Dikembe went in the locker room and said [impersonates Mutombo’s voice] ’I don’t need to double team Shaq.’ Oh, ok you’re talking shit. Ok, now I’m mad. Iverson would get by people and lay it up and Derek Fisher would be like “Yo lay him down!” and I was like, “I cant do that. I’m not going to foul that man and lay him on his back.” Anyone else comes in there, they are getting flagranted 1 and 2 [laughs].
On today’s NBA superstars
Iverson:I love Steph, LeBron, Durant, Kyrie, Melo, Westbrook.
O’Neal: Westbrook is the new you.
Iverson: I don’t think we have the same game, but the attitude and the heart, I think in that way we are the same.
O’Neal: The way basketball has evolved, the players now are products of their environment. They watch people do stuff and add their own stuff. If you look at most of the guards now, AI was the first to cross and step back. I see it in today’s players.
Iverson: That’s how I created my game. I wanted jump like Mike, shoot like Bird, rebound like Barkley, pass like Magic. After Jordan came Kobe and then came LeBron. Every generation gets better. Just like we are saying Steph Curry is the best shooter to ever play the game. There is some young little dude saying I beg to differ and soon enough we will be comparing Steph to him.
On Iverson crossing over Michael Jordan and stepping over Tyronn Lue
Iverson: I wasn’t even thinking about it. I was just playing the game. And in the aftermath of it the response was like, “You hit Mike with that thing!” That was my idol, my hero, still is to this day. Same thing with everyone talking about me stepping over Tyronn.
O’Neal: Stop it! You did that on purpose. I was right there and you looked at me and stepped over that man. Stop lying!
https://youtu.be/grXws5m11SA
Iverson: Let me tell you a funny story. If you’re a Sixers fan you hated Tyronn Lue because he was a pest. He was giving me problems. I remember he was a free agent and he went to the Wizards and he got like $5 million a year. We were going at it again. And someone was shooting a free throw and I was like “If you keep fouling me like that I’m going to beat your ass.” And I was like, “You got that little-ass $5 million a year because of me.” And he looked at me said “Thank you,” and man I died laughing because that’s what I would have said.
