Getty Images Russell Westbrook #0 of the Houston Rockets
Allen Iverson was the man in Philadelphia during his NBA career.
He still is. An 11-time All-Star, Iverson finished his career averaging 26.7 points per game, the sixth-best career scoring mark in NBA league history.
Iverson was the NBA’s Most Valuable Player during the 2000-01 season. He took the Sixers to the NBA Finals that same season where they lost to the eventual champion, the Los Angeles Lakers. He officially announced his retirement on October 30, 2013.
“Seeing and watching Allen Iverson play was one of the most exciting things,” former Philadelphia 76er point guard, Michael Carter-Williams once told me.
“As a kid, he was definitely one of my favorite players.
Million Dollar Question: Where does The Answer rank in your top five? “That’s tough,” he told me. “I’m a little young for the Jordan era, so I couldn’t take him. But I did get to see Kobe, Shaq, Tracy McGrady. So he’s right up there with all of them.”
Iverson had impact during his playing career. The braids, the cornrows, the arm sleeve and the clothes were all part of his brand.
He impacted Russell Westbrook and The Answer is a fan of the former Oklahoma City Thunder point guard.
“He’s my favorite player in the league,” Allen Iverson said in 2017. “I have a lot of respect, admiration for the guy. I think the MVP was well deserved.”
Back in 2017, The Answer spoke reverently of Westbrook’s MVP season in 2017.
“I think it’s something that we may not see again for years to come,” he said of Westbrook’s historic 2016-17 season, during which he became the second player ever to average a triple-double. “It was something we thought might never happen. I didn’t ever think that it would happen on this level, so that tells you what type of player he is.”
Westbrook was on the inaugural Thunder team in 2008-09 after the team moved to OKC from Seattle.
He made an immediate impact as a rookie, then proceeded to become one of the most dominant players in the league — and eventually the face of the OKC franchise.
Five Million Dollar Question: Is Iverson to Philly what Westbrook was to Oklahoma City?
Russell Westbrook showing everybody in Oklahoma love. After his Why Not show.
I asked current Philadelphia 76ers rookie Matisse Thybulle. Check out our Q&A below:
Brandon ‘Scoop B Robinson: Allen Iverson is a guy that means a lot to the city of Philadelphia. I tweeted something the other day I said Allen Iverson is to Philadelphia what Russell Westbrook is to Oklahoma City. Do you see the comparison?
Matisse Thybulle: I see the comparison. But I think it’s more intense Philly. I think the fans in Philly are more passionate. Like that love runs way deeper especially cause AI [Allen Iverson] that was like the peak of Philly basketball literally so it took a dip and up until present now AI was all that the city could hold on basketball wise.
After spending eight seasons partially in the shadow of Kevin Durant, Westbrook delivered three of the most dominant seasons in NBA history, averaging a triple double each year from 2016-17 through 2018-19 and winning the MVP award in 2017 along with his second scoring title.