"Started researching me like you were in the CIA" - Allen Iverson on Kobe Bryant being the ultimate competitor
When Kobe Bryant's name is mentioned, numerous iconic moments from his two-decade-long NBA career spring to mind, from his historic 81-point performance against the Toronto Raptors in 2006 to his lifting the Larry O'Brien trophy three consecutive times to dropping 60 points in his farewell game against the Utah Jazz, among others.
However, for Allen Iverson, Bryant's unwavering Mamba Mentality pushed him to top every opponent, regardless of the height he had to reach.
A.I. on Kobe's competitive edge
Although their relationship may not have been particularly close, Iverson held an unparalleled respect for the five-time NBA Champion.
In an open letter penned to the Lakers legend after his tragic demise, 'The Answer' recounted how, in their rookie year (1996), despite Bryant not being a regular starter, he had the desire to study Iverson's game just so that he could stop him when the Purple and Gold matched up against the Philadelphia 76ers; labeling Kobe the 'fiercest competitor' he's ever seen.
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"I remember hearing the story that you were on the road, and you were watching the highlights of me dropping 35 on the Knicks at the Garden our rookie year, and you got so mad that you smashed up the hotel room, and you started researching me like you were in the CIA - 'GET ME THE FILE ON A.I.,'" Iverson wrote in the Players' Tribune. "I bet it was like that. Studying how great white sharks hunt down seals in the Pacific Ocean and whatnot."
Iverson wanted no part of Bryant
While it might raise eyebrows for a player to go to the extent of tearing down a hotel room simply to study the game, the 11-time All-Star admired how Kobe and he consistently drove each other to elevate their games through such unconventional means.
Additionally, the 6'0" point guard also acknowledged that the next time his 76ers faced the Lakers in his rookie season, Kobe made it abundantly clear to Iverson that he was ready to go head-to-head against him on every front, ensuring that A.I. realized why he shouldn't be in Bryant's bad books.
"The next time you came through Philly, you were ALL up in my sh*t," Iverson added. "There was no half-stepping you. Every first step, I had to go 100.... You wanted the challenge. You wanted to show me that you were the baddest motherf***r to ever play the game. And I didn't want ANY part of Kobe Bryant on the other end."
Although Iverson didn't specify the exact game, it appears he's alluding to his first-ever encounter with Kobe's Lakers, in which he scored just 16 points on 6-of-27 shooting from the field.
