Multiple NBA players over the years have stated Allen Iverson to be one of the toughest stars to guard. And this was back when the rules did not favor offensive gameplay as much as they do now. So what would happen if AI was to play in this modern era of basketball? What would it mean for superstar guards like Stephen Curry and Devin Booker, who are considered the best on offense? Things may not have worked out so well for the point guards of today, as per what Iverson states.

Appearing on NBA on ESPN, AI faced the question of what he believes he would have done in this era of the NBA. “I just know it was never a problem for me to beat the guy that’s guarding me… So I just think about if the game is that wide open then I would create too much havoc because you know once I beat my man, everything is wide open…” the ex-Philadelphia 76ers star said.

AI’s explanation of his reply lies in an earlier statement, made by him on the show. He stated once the person guarding you is beaten, there is not much help left for the other team. “The center, a lot of times is not standing under the basket… like he used to,” Allen Iverson stated.

It is worth mentioning that the ex-Sixers star averaged 26.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game in his career. Also, he stands among the top 10 players in NBA history in terms of average career points. Iverson’s athletic prowess was such that Mark Jackson had stated playing against him was “torture”. However, he was not the only player who viewed guarding AI as too much of a task.

NBA stars opening up on defending Allen Iverson

Gilbert Arenas had earned himself a name for his abilities as a guard for quite a few seasons. However, when it came to playing against Al, Arenas often found himself outclassed. He eventually admitted that Al was the toughest player he ever had to guard.

“He was trying to score 60 every game. You had to go to sleep early the night before, you go to bed like, I really don’t wanna guard this dude all damn game, because he had the ultra, ultra-green. You have a player that there is no ten bad shots in a row, sub his ass out, no, those ten bad shots gonna come with ten more ones. So he was the hardest to defend,” Gil had stated in an interview a few months ago.

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Brian Shaw was yet another player to admit it was nearly impossible to guard the 6-foot player. Appearing on ‘Podcast P Presented by Wave Sports + Entertainment, Shaw stated Iverson came into the league when hand checking out of practice in the league. Notably, Iverson debuted in the NBA in 1996 and hand-checking got banned from the 2004 season. “… With his quickness and his ball-handling ability and the fact that he was always in attack mode, it was virtually impossible to guard him,” Shaw had stated.

What is your take on this entire issue? Do you think Allen Iverson would have outclassed modern-day point guards like Curry and Booker? Let us know your views in the comments.