Allen Iverson stated his 1996 NBA Draft class, which featured the late Kobe Bryant, two-time league MVP and present Nets coach Steve Nash and all-time 3-point scoring chief Ray Allen, is best than the 1984 and 2003 courses, which featured Michael Jordan and LeBron James, respectively. 

In an look on ‘Membership Shay Shay’, A FOX Sports activities podcast hosted by Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame tight finish and FS1 analyst Shannon Sharpe, Iverson argued that his class had extra widespread expertise than the opposite two teams, which he stated had been boosted closely by Jordan and James, arguably the 2 best gamers of all time. 

“I’m not taking something away from Dwyane (Wade) and [Carmelo] Anthony, I really like them guys on and off the courtroom,” Iverson stated. “However in the identical factor with (Hakeem) Olajuwon, Mike, while you put LeBron within the class and you bought Mike, it’s laborious man.” 

Iverson could have legitimate factors to his declare. The 1996 class is arguably the deepest in NBA historical past, as Iverson, Bryant and Nash gained 4 mixed NBA MVP awards and 7 different drafted gamers turned All-Stars (Allen, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Stephon Marbury, Jermaine O’Neal, Peja Stojakovic and Antoine Walker). 

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Ben Wallace additionally went undrafted that 12 months and was named NBA Defensive Participant of the 12 months 4 instances, together with five-time NBA champion Derek Fisher. In whole, eight gamers had been named to at the very least one All-NBA crew, probably the most of any draft. 

There have been six eventual All-NBA gamers in 1984’s class. Jordan was chosen together with Olajuwon, who is taken into account the most effective facilities ever. Charles Barkley, the 1993 NBA MVP and an 11-time All-Star, was picked fifth general after which John Stockton, the NBA’s all-time steals and help chief, was chosen at No. 16. Alvin Robertson and Kevin Willis had been named All-NBA picks in 1986 and 1992, respectively. 

In 2003, James was backed at No. 1 general by Wade, a three-time NBA champion and 13-time All-Star, and Anthony, a 10-time All-Star who at the moment ranks No. 10 on the league’s all-time scoring record. Eleven-time All-Star and two-time champion Chris Bosh was additionally chosen within the draft together with future NBA Sixth Man of the 12 months Leandro Barbosa, 3-point marksman Kyle Korver and future All-Stars Josh Howard, David West and Mo Williams. Miami’s Large Three of James, Bosh and Wade, together with Anthony, are the category’s solely All-NBA gamers.

Paired together with his confidence in his class, Iverson stated he might rating “undoubtedly greater than my highest common” with out hand-checking and a perceived much less bodily model of basketball in as we speak’s NBA. Iverson averaged a career-best 33.0 factors per sport throughout the 2005-06 season with the 76ers and averaged at the very least 30 factors 5 instances throughout his profession. 

“It’s too large open,” Iverson stated. “With the ground spaced out like it’s now, it could have been tougher to double crew me like they was.”