Back in 2001, the Los Angeles Lakers were unstoppable. With Shaq and Kobe Bryant on the same team, the Lakers eventually cruised to three-straight NBA championships. The second of those titles was against Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers. This 76ers team is highly-regarded as one of the weakest teams to ever make the Finals, however, they had Iverson carrying them on his back, which led to some incredible postseason moments.
In Game 1 of that series, Iverson infamously led his team to a win, before eventually losing the next four in a row. During this Game 1 win, Iverson came through with one of the most disrespectful gestures in NBA Finals history as he stepped over Tyronn Lue who had just fallen over while trying to contest one of Iverson’s shots.
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Today is June 6th and it just so happens that this is the 20th anniversary of the play. For years, this has always been a large part of Iverson highlight reels and it’s truly surreal that this happened so long ago. Over the course of the last few years, Iverson has made it a point to say that he meant no disrespect to Lue and that he truly loves the Clippers head coach.
Regardless, this is one of the most iconic moments in NBA playoff history, and you’ve got to appreciate it on its birthday.