Michael Rubin is establishing himself as the king of celebrity parties. With the most famous names across industries converging for his events, the guest list is often loaded with great real-life anecdotes. One of the guests at Rubin’s Summer Players Party was an NBA All-Star. While everyone was talking about fan experiences and collections of sports memorabilia, a former Rookie of the Year had an interesting story to narrate. This funny incident comes from one of his earliest encounters with the one and only Michael Jordan.

Allen Iverson played with the Philadelphia 76ers for the majority of his playing career. He was gushing about his love for Philly and local fans among a table of sports lovers and collectors. Back then, Iverson was also a fan of an NBA legend and something strange happened when they met on the court.

Rookie Allen Iverson and his iconic crossover

AI began his NBA career in 1996. By that point, the Chicago Bulls dynasty was looking invincible thanks to its star, Michael Jordan. Iverson was not immune to MJ’s charisma either. He would’ve been awestruck when the 76ers faced off against the Bulls.

But, of course, AI was a legend in the making himself. And Iverson left his idol stunned as a rookie.

A move like AI’s shifty crossover could shatter a few egos on the court.

Iverson is one of the few NBA legends with a signature and foolproof move. He pulled his famous crossover move on Jordan in 1996. The rookie made His Airness look completely lost. Iverson doubled up the embarrassment by making a shot over Jordan. This was historic for The Answer and humiliating for MJ.

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Apparently, Jordan never got over it. Known for his extremely competitive nature and ability to hold a grudge, the Bulls titan was upset at getting bested.

“I saw his [Jordan’s] aura, like he had a light shining around,” he said.  Iverson was at Michael Rubin’s annual Summer Players Party – informally dubbed the ‘All Whites Party’ – when he described how he idolized Jordan growing up.

He would go on to recall how Jordan made his decades-long grudge known.

Iverson upset his idol, Michael Jordan

Iverson recalled the time he was in Charlotte, North Carolina, and was at a Hornets game.

Michael Jordan still had his ownership stake in the team back then. Both retired NBA pros were in the box seats. The former Sixer was telling the people around him how much he admired Jordan right there.  That’s when Jordan told him the feeling isn’t mutual.

“I kept telling him how much I love him… He was like, ‘Man, you don’t love me like that. Because if you did, you wouldn’t have crossed me.’”

That’s sad for Iverson but The Answer had a sharp answer to that. “I felt bad but at the same time was like, ‘Mike, you was just a casualty at war.’” 

Nearly two decades later and Iverson is still crossing Jordan.

We totally get why MJ would still sulk over that humiliation. But this story made the people at the table and Rubin’s followers who saw that clip have a hearty laugh. Only a select few players have had the pleasure of holding a crossover on Jordan.

Iverson was an underrated player, but modern legends like Dwyane Wade continue to highlight his greatness.

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