Kobe Bryant is regarded by many as the greatest player to suit up in ‘Purple and Gold.’ During his time with the Los Angeles Lakers, the team won 5 championships, one of them being against Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers in the finals of 2001. The Lakers would eliminate the 76ers in 5 games, but what stood out was the battle between Kobe and AI.

The two superstars always had a mutual respect for each other, which even went beyond the basketball court itself. In commemoration of this respect and love that the two shared, Bleacher Report shared a tweet of AI’s reaction to a fan asking him to sign a poster of Kobe Bryant and him during their basketball days in the NBA.

In the video that was tweeted, AI can be seen in awe of the poster as he reminisces about his days battling it out with Kobe. Furthermore, AI even asked the fan for an extra poster, saying that he needed one, and then proceeded to sign the poster for the fan. Following this was a whole host of reactions on Twitter expressing love for both AI and Kobe.

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Twitter reacts to Iverson signing Kobe’s poster

Several fans took to Twitter expressing how the two stars had mutual respect for each other and recognized the greatness of one another.

Furthermore, many fans expressed support for AI as a humble superstar. They were emotional, yet appreciative of his gesture in memory of Kobe Bryant.

Some fans, like AI, became emotional too. They fondly remembered the face offs between the two superstars and expressed their feelings on Twitter.

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Overall, it seems clear that there was a mix of reactions among the fans that included sadness and love. But what tied these reactions together is the wholesome respect that the fans had for the stars.

Kobe and Iverson in the NBA

While Kobe Bryant enjoyed 5 titles with the Lakers, 76ers legend AI retired without a ring. But that doesn’t take away from his greatness. AI left fans in awe with several iconic moments. One of them being the crossover on Michael Jordan. Kobe also gave fans several iconic moments too, most notably his 81 point performance against the Toronto Raptors. And when the two of them met on court, it was always a sight to see.

When the 2 stars matched up in the finals in 2001, it was a battle for the ages. Game 1 featured a dominant performance from AI as he propelled the 76ers to a win behind a 48 point performance. In the remaining 4 games, Kobe would help his team win through his scoring and passing.

Evidently, the two are legends of the game, and their respect and love for each other has extended beyond the court itself.

READ MORE: Tim Grover, Who Trained Both Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, Once Shared a Harsh Reality: “Kobe Trained Harder, Jordan Trained Smarter”