The passing of Kobe Bryant is still a grim moment that haunts every player. Even after 3 years, many NBA stars share stories about the Black Mamba and how he inspired them. He left a major impact on basketball and on the players through his attitude, play style, and work ethic. Recently, a video resurfaced of an 11x All-Star and a good friend of Kobe’s talking about his relationship with the 5x NBA champion on the ‘ALL THE SMOKE’ podcast. The comments from Iverson about the Los Angeles Lakers icon have brought back fond memories of Bryant.

Even though they were rivals throughout their careers, the mutual respect Kobe and Allen Iverson had for each other was clear to see. They even faced off in the NBA Finals. AI fondly remembers his former rival and friend.

Allen Iverson was candid about his relationship with Kobe Bryant

Iverson has been open about his respect for Kobe. He had released a letter as a tribute to Kobe Bryant with ‘The Players Tribune’ in 2020. In his heartfelt letter, Iverson talked about everything Kobe meant to him. From the time he saw Kobe, to their battles on the court, to eventually having the utmost respect for him.

The respect and competitive spirit he had towards Kobe were showcased in the letter. Iverson mentioned that every time the both of them set foot on that floor, they prepared for a battle. But it wasn’t a matter of hostility. No beef ever existed. It resembled heavyweight fighters absolutely pummeling one another. Then, when the bell rang, only respect and love existed between the two. That affection was on full display when AI joined Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson one month after the letter was released.

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The ‘All The Smoke‘ Instagram page recently posted a quote from Iverson. Iverson went to the podcast a month after Kobe’s unfortunate passing, where he stated, “I didn’t have a personal relationship with him, but killers respect killers.” 

Outside the court, they were not known to be close friends. This was mostly because of their competitive nature. There was more respect for each other than friendship. He also mentions in the podcast that he wishes he had gotten to know Kobe better while he was still here.

The Answer and The Black Mamba needed each other

Fans always used to look forward to the matchup between the Lakers and the Philadelphia 76ers at the turn of the century. Iverson had his speed and crossovers, while Kobe had his scoring and defensive capabilities. It was always an incredible sight to see the two go up against each other.

Iverson famously mentioned in his tribute to Kobe that greatness needs each other, just as they needed one another. He said that Prince needed Michael Jackson as much as MJ needed Prince. Iverson also compared them to Iron Mike and Holyfield. Iverson was talking about how, even though they were rivals on the court and wanted to defeat each other, they needed each other to elevate themselves. To prove to everyone else how great they both could be.

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Off the court, they had mutual respect for each other and acknowledged each other’s ability and work ethic. Iverson once said in an interview that he was amazed by Kobe and what he accomplished. He also said that he considered himself lucky to not be in the West. This was certainly a nod to how great of a player Iverson considered Kobe to be. What are your thoughts on Iverson’s heartwarming comments about Bryant?