17 seasons. Over 24,000 points. 11× NBA All-Star. 4× scoring champion. Hall of Famer. Allen Iverson’s résumé speaks for itself. Yet, the cultural icon never won a championship. He doesn’t carry regrets, but he believes his legacy might’ve looked different had he played alongside true pros. Iverson often felt surrounded by players still finding their way, pointing to Jerome Williams as someone who became a pro later. So when given the chance even hypothetically to build his dream superteam, he didn’t think twice, even if it meant less ball time for “The Answer” himself.

On The Stephen A. Smith Show, Allen Iverson didn’t hold back. He dropped names that could break the game: “Obviously, Shaq. I would love to play with a healthy Embiid. I would love to play with Joker.” But when Stephen A. pressed him about a guard, Iverson’s answer was instant—“Luka.”

Smith couldn’t help but challenge him: “He’s a killer, but he holds on to the ball. How you gonna get it?” Yet, AI stayed unfazed. With that trademark confidence, Iverson smiled and said, “I know what to do with it when I get it. I’m gonna touch it, man. I’m not using that excuse. You put me on the court with that serial killer, right? You got problems.”  Yes, the pick is Luka and not LeBron James to change AI’s legacy. That’s definitely an interesting choice.

Let’s start with Shaq—Iverson’s big brother in business and beyond. The two have shared more than just a Reebok partnership; they’ve shared genuine brotherhood. Iverson once broke down in tears while talking about his bond with Shaquille O’Neal, calling him “a big brother, a mentor, and just everything you’re supposed to be as a man.”

Their friendship would’ve been pure magic on the court. And it’s not just Iverson who believes that. As Shaq once said back in 2016, “If I had played with him in Philly, we would definitely have two or three.”

It’s only natural that a 76ers legend like AI would pick a current Philly star. Joel Embiid was his second choice, though health remains a key concern. Since tearing his meniscus against the Warriors nearly a year ago, Embiid has battled injuries, surgeries, and limited game time.

Before that, he was unstoppable, even joining Iverson as the only Sixers to score 7,000 points in their first 300 games. As Embiid himself admitted, “I wish I was healthier. I probably would have had at least 15,000 points by now.” Healthy, this duo would be truly championship-worthy.

While many still question Allen Iverson for never winning a championship, Nikola Jokic shows a different kind of calm even after claiming one. Remember the memes from 2023 when the Joker celebrated by just wanting to go home?

That low-key reaction echoed Iverson’s famous “practice” moment. Jokic is a champion in his own right, having made history last year by surpassing Allen Iverson (2,111 points) and others on the all-time playoff scoring list. Together, they would form an unstoppable scoring duo with unmatched offensive firepower.

And the trump card? Luka Doncic. This isn’t the first time Allen Iverson has been a fan of the Slovenian star.

When Luka joined the Lakers earlier this year, Iverson gushed about his style, saying, “I don’t want nobody to take this the wrong way… he plays like a Black guy. He’s got swag. He’s so cool out there.” The admiration is well-founded—the Lakers are building around Luka as the future face of the franchise after LeBron James.

Even LeBron has acknowledged it, saying that for the team to function at its best, the ball needs to be in Luka’s hands. Notably when James said to Doncic before his first game with the Lakers: “Luka, be your f—ing self. Don’t fit in, fit the f— out.” This message was meant to encourage Luka to play authentically and confidently without trying to conform to the team’s style or expectations but rather to stand out and express his unique game.

With the highest usage rate on the team at 34.7%, LeBron is more than happy to let Doncic take the lead.

Respect and Rivalry: LeBron James vs Allen Iverson

“LeBron ain’t got none of my game… but his heart is all mine.” That’s the one thing Allen Iverson has ever said he shares with LeBron James, and it’s maybe why he didn’t pick him for his dream superteam.

Still, there’s plenty of mutual respect. James never got the chance to play alongside Iverson, but they faced off plenty of times when LeBron was starting out with the Cavaliers and Iverson was leading the Sixers.

Here’s how their head-to-head matchups played out:

• Total games played against each other: 18
• Iverson led the series 10-8
• Nov 15, 2003: James scored 22, Iverson 19
• Mar 18, 2005: Iverson 31, James 16 (76ers win)
• Apr 4, 2006: Iverson 38, James 37 (Cavs win 124-91)
• Overall average points per game: LeBron 28.6, Iverson 25.8

Even though LeBron had the better scoring average, he’s admitted he would’ve loved to be on Iverson’s superteam.

Growing up, MJ was his favorite, but if size didn’t matter, LeBron believes Allen would’ve been the best ever. At just 6 feet and 165 pounds, Iverson wasn’t exactly a basketball giant, but his heart and will to win made him unstoppable.

“A.I. was like my second-favorite player growing up, after MJ,” LeBron said, calling him a true warrior whose competitive fire could never be questioned.