No one changed the culture in the NBA as much as Allen Iverson did during his playing days. A former Golden State Warriors star reminded the public of that recently as he candidly shared the influence of the point guard. In a comparison between the Philadelphia 76ers legend and Kyrie Irving, the retired star picked AI.

He talked at length about the impact of Iverson on the game of basketball. His words made the listeners reminisce about the greatness of the legend yet again.

What did the ex-Warriors star say about Allen Iverson?

In a recent episode of Gil’s Arena, Gilbert Arenas publicly shared his thoughts on the influence of the 48-year-old on the culture. The former Warriors guard faced a question regarding who was harder to guard amongst Iverson and Irving. “Allen Iverson,” he promptly replied before adding, “by far,” after pausing for a moment.

The 41-year-old paid respect to the skill set of the 2016 NBA champion, but put the 11-time All-Star ahead of him. “It’s easy to look at the highlights and see all of the tricks,” before talking about the advantages Kyrie had. Gilbert mentioned that AI “didn’t have a LeBron…KD…James Harden…Luka,” and still dominated.

He highlighted the prowess of the 2001 MVP as he discussed how “Your package has to be minimized” to play like him. “You have to be able to get quicker buckets,” Arenas stated to shed light on the killer instinct of Allen. Thus, while defending against Iverson, the opposition had the feeling, “When he got it, he is coming”.

Gilbert paid his respect to the fierce competitor as he dissected his gameplay. It made us wonder about one thing.

The greatness of AI

He entered the league in 1996 as the 1st overall pick. Thus, the expectations were on his shoulders from the beginning. The former Rookie of the Year met all of those as he turned it around for his franchise. The 76ers became a feared team in the Eastern Conference, thanks to the presence of Iverson.

The organization still failed to build a competitive squad around its talisman. It became apparent as they reached only one final during that period but lost that 4-1. Despite a career filled with controversies, the legend never stopped pushing through as he made a name for himself by the end.

Watch This Story: “Without Kevin Durant, LeBron (James) Got Steph in His Back Pocket”: Ex-Teammates Give Lakers Superstar an Upper Edge for 5th Ring

Years after, the NBA acknowledged the uniqueness of him completely as he became a Hall of Famer. So, the influence of The Answer was beyond the court of basketball. Thus, his feats are hard to match for Kyrie, or any other basketball star for that matter.