Imagine leaving MJ speechless, jaw dropped, staring in disbelief. That alone would be a career highlight, wouldn’t it? For Allen Iverson, it wasn’t just an imagination; it really happened. Now back in the spotlight, he’s promoting his docuseries, ‘Allen IV3RSON,’ diving deep into his life on and off the court. And, of course, when discussing iconic moments, fans can’t stop revisiting the 1997 crossover. But AI doesn’t give that moment the pedestal we all thought he did.

During a recent episode of New Heights, Allen Iverson made it clear that the jaw-dropping moment when he beat Michael Jordan wasn’t the peak of his career. He explained it in five simple words: “No. No. I’ve done people way worse.“

“But if you think about it, you got to, you know what I mean? Y’all know, a highlight, you have to make the shot or you’re not going to see it on ESPN. You’re not going to see it on the highlights. So, it’s a lot of things I’ve done to people and didn’t make the shot. That was way worse than that crossover. Like, Mike got it, but he didn’t get it. You reach, I teach. No, just back up. Just back up and don’t try to beat me to the spot. If you don’t want to get hit by it, just let me go by you. If you try to beat me to that spot, then you going to stay there and I’m going be somewhere else,” Iverson continued.

To familiarise the younger fans with this moment, we have to rewind to a regular-season matchup between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Chicago Bulls. There wasn’t a playoff spot or any big stakes on the line; just a 21-year-old Allen Iverson, in the middle of his rookie season, facing an all-time great MJ, 34, already deep into his second three-peat run.

Iverson was already making waves that year, averaging 23.5 points and 7.5 assists per game, but no one expected him to take on Jordan so effortlessly. Iverson, in his white Sixers jersey, took a few steps back, sizing up the Bulls vet. Then he started dribbling left to right, quick as lightning, pulling back twice before snapping into a crossover that left even time seeming to pause… Jordan flinched, tried to react, but Iverson, fearless and confident, drained the shot. Reflecting on the play years later, Iverson told NBA.com, “All I could think about is I had no fear. I feared so many other things off the court, but nothing on the court. (That crossover) was indicative of how I felt as far as being fearless on the court.”

For AI, it didn’t matter that Michael Jordan was in front of him. His whole focus was on the game and helping his team win. That crossover didn’t change the game’s outcome, however, which might be why Allen doesn’t see it as his career highlight.

If you asked Allen Iverson which crossover he loved the most, he’d roll back the calendar to 2001.

“I think my favorite would be probably the one I had on John Stockton,” the NBA legend said. “The John Stockton one, I just loved that one, because I thought his legs broke.” In that play, the Jazz star was fooled entirely, lost his footing, and stumbled out of the frame. Sure, it made the highlights, but not like the Jordan moment… For Iverson, though, it perfectly showcased why his crossover was so lethal.

And you’d think Michael Jordan might still be holding a grudge over that crossover. Well… kind of, but in the funniest way. Allen Iverson, who’s always shown nothing but respect and admiration for MJ, shared a hilarious story about the moment. “He [MJ] was like, ‘Look man, you don’t care nothing about me, because if you did, you wouldn’t have crossed me like that,’” Iverson recalled. The idea of the greatest of all time trying to guilt-trip him? Priceless.

When Allen Iverson was ‘star-struck’ before that iconic 1997 crossover

With NBC bringing back 90s nostalgia and the legends, including the GOAT himself, Michael Jordan, the spotlight also turned to Allen Iverson. Recently on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Iverson playfully parodied his infamous “practice” rant while reflecting on his early days watching Jordan.

AI also didn’t hold back on speaking about MJ’s impact on his game: “Michael Jordan, NBC, growin’ up, all I wanted to do is watch Mike. That’s my hero, he was my vision, he was the reason why everyone knows Allen Iverson is today, because of him,” he told Fallon.

For the young rookie, stepping onto the court against Michael Jordan for the first time felt like stepping into another world. Allen Iverson had idolized His Airness for years, but seeing him live brought a whole new level of awe.

“I remember the first time I was just staring at him and just looking at him like, ‘That’s him…’” Iverson reminisced. “He didn’t look real to me. That was the first time I saw a human that didn’t look real.” To Iverson, Jordan was the benchmark, the inspiration, the very reason he had spent hours glued to NBC, dreaming of one day matching that greatness.

And yet, when the 1997 game rolled around, Iverson turned that awe into action. On March 12, he pulled off one of his most legendary crossovers, leaving MJ stunned and opening the path for a clean shot. Fallon even brought out the footage from the archives, and AI laughed about still being a fanboy around Jordan.

“It’s so embarrassing when I’m around him… my friends got to tap me like, ‘Chuck, okay, man. Calm down! You’re embarrassing us!’” Iverson revealed. But he also admitted, “If you think about it on that play, he still almost blocked my shot, so that’s a testimony to how great he was.”

Even decades later, the respect and admiration AI has for MJ is as real as ever.