In a wide-ranging, 31-minute Hall of Fame induction speech that saw him thank everyone from Michael Jordan and his fans in China to Michael Jackson and Biggie Smalls, Allen Iverson spent a portion of it showing his love and respect for Lakers of the past and present.
First, he singled out Lou Williams, who spent his rookie year alongside Iverson during the 2005-06 season.
Williams has always shown gratitude for the mentorship that Iverson and Kevin Ollie gave to him in Philadelphia, and “The Answer” was sure to rib his former protege on Friday in Springfield, Mass.
“I love Lou Williams and I always think about one day at practice (when) I had scored like 10 in a row on him, and Lou was about to cry,” Iverson said. “Mo Cheeks said, ‘Man, hold your head up. Don’t cry. He do that to everybody.’”
Iverson moved on to his fellow Hall of Fame class of 2016 member, Shaquille O’Neal. The two famously met in the 2001 NBA Finals, as Iverson willed the 76ers to a Game 1 victory before O’Neal led the Lakers to the title with four straight wins.
After averaging 33.0 points, 15.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 3.4 blocks, O’Neal was named NBA Finals MVP.
“I can’t leave without bringing up Shaq,” Iverson said. “I love him so much as a person. Obviously the most dominant big man we’ve ever seen, ever.”
Another key member of that series was, of course, Kobe Bryant.
While Iverson lit up the Lakers to the tune of 35.6 points per game, Bryant played a huge role in icing Los Angeles’ 15-1 postseason run, as he averaged 24.6 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists in the Finals.
“A true competitor,” Iverson said. “I know that he’s retired now. He’s going to go on to do even greater things. He’s a great man. I love him and I respect him. He brought everything out of me on the basketball court, and I appreciate him for that.”
The final member of the Lakers’ contingency to receive recognition was the one most closely associated with Iverson.
While many remember when Iverson sent Tyronn Lue to the floor with a crossover and then stepped over him during his 48-point Game 1 explosion, the Lakers’ defensive savant actually held him in check for most of the series.
In fact, Iverson shot just 48-of-121 (39.7 percent) through the rest of the series. The results were the Lakers winning each game and Lue earning a new contract with Washington over the offseason.
“I remember after that (2001 NBA Finals) series, he went to Washington and he got paid,” Iverson said. “Somebody was at the free throw line and I said (to Lue), ‘Look man, if you don’t stop fouling me like that, we’re going to be fighting out here.’ He was like, ‘Whatever, whatever.’
“And I said, ‘The only reason you got that little, $5 million a year is for running around after me.’ And the man looked at me and said what I would have said: ‘Thank you!’ And we’ve been (close) like this ever since.”