Allen Iverson came into the NBA as the No. 1 overall pick from the 1996 NBA Draft. The Georgetown product would go on to own the NBA during his prime, with his impact both on the court and culturally shaping the league for the decade that followed.
But on March 12, 1997, it was one single play against Chicago Bulls great Michael Jordan that we remember as Iverson’s announcement to the league.
It’s now the 20 year anniversary of Iverson’s crossover on Jordan, so let’s watch it one more time:
#OTD in 1997, @Sixers rookie Allen Iverson crossed over Michael Jordan. 👀 pic.twitter.com/qNKtCnoWtp
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) March 12, 2017
While Chicago took home a win that day, 108-104, it was Iverson who scored 37 points on 15-of-23 shooting. He finished the game with an offensive rating of 145.
Long live AI.