Allen Iverson, the longtime draft-mate and Eastern Conference rival of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, released a statement after the latter was found dead, along with his daughter Gianna and seven others, after a helicopter crash in Calabasas on Sunday.
Iverson shared many battles with Bryant, but none more notable than their clash during the 2001 NBA Finals, as Iverson led a Philadelphia 76ers team against the Lakers, who had won the NBA title the prior year.
The Sixers took the first game in overtime in surprising fashion, as Iverson's 48 points and the memorable step-back jumper and step-over on Tyronn Lue sealed the lone Sixers' win of that series. They went on to lose the next four games to Bryant's Lakers.
On Monday, Iverson shared some heartfelt words about his longtime NBA friend:
“Words cannot express how I’m feeling today. The only two words that ring in my head — devastated and heartbroken,” wrote Iverson. “I cannot seem to shake this feeling no matter what I’ve tried to do since hearing this yesterday.
“People will always remember who we competed against each other in the league, but it goes so much deeper than that for me. The story of us being drafted in arguably the deepest class of its kind ever in the history of the NBA can be debated for many years to come. However, his generosity and respect for the game is something that I witnessed first-hand every time we stepped on the dance floor to compete.”
Iverson then shared an anecdote about Bryant, who was selected 13th in the same 1996 NBA Draft that saw Iverson go as the No. 1 overall pick.
“It’s one memory of him that I can’t stop thinking about. It was our rookie season and my first trip to LA for a game against the Lakers. He came to my hotel, picked me up and took me to a restaurant,” Iverson recalled. “When we returned before he left, he asked me, “what are you going to do tonight”? My reply was, “I’m going to the club, what are you going to do?” He said, “I’m going to the gym.” That is who he always was, a true student of the game of basketball and also the game of life. He prepared relentlessly. There is something we can all learn from the “Mamba” mentality and from the way my brother lived his life. He will always have my respect as a competitor, as a friend, as a brother.”
Iverson concluded with his sincere condolences for the Bryant family, who lost not only Kobe but his daughter Gianna, 13, who was one of the nine passengers aboard the helicopter.
“My thoughts and prayers are with his wife Vanessa, their children and the families of all of the victims of yesterday’s tragedy. As a father, I cannot wrap my head around how they must feel,” wrote a grieving Iverson. “We are not okay. But we will find the strength to pull through this together because that’s what Kobe would want us to do.”
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