Twenty-five years later, Allen Iverson’s legendary Game 1 performance in the 2001 NBA Finals remains one of the greatest playoff performances in NBA history.
Facing a Lakers team led by Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant that entered the Finals undefeated in the postseason, Iverson erupted for 48 points and led the Philadelphia 76ers to a stunning 107-101 overtime victory.
AI’s unforgettable night featured clutch shot after clutch shot, an iconic overtime takeover, and one of the most memorable moments in Finals history.
Relive the full highlights from the game that ended the Lakers’ 19-game winning streak and cemented Allen Iverson’s place among the NBA’s all-time greats. 👑🔥🏀
Final Line:
🔥 48 PTS | 6 AST | 5 STL
🏆 2001 NBA Finals Game 1
📅 June 6, 2001 — 25 Years Ago Today
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AI was am icon like we haven't seen long time these days
The original AI
what a time when every paint move is pound for pound and not foul baiting bs.
Don’t ever crop the 4:3 to 1080, it looks horrible
The last summer of the America that I once knew!!
Now this is real basketball, miss this era
Practice? What are we talking about?!
Philly was hot garbage on offense…snow and mckie couldn't even make an nba team today
"He may have lost this finals, but he's still so young! He'll be back bro, don't worry.."
My favorite ball player. Killa crossover.
Always having to choose from the set of players who make the stats sheet.
Never acknowledging the most all round player, because he doesn't the g/a push, is very disheartening.
Joao Neves is a top 5 player in world football on any day.
LEYENDA ❤️🏀
If it wasnt for A.I. , Kobe and Shaq we wouldn't have NBA2K Video Game!!!
Rob Dillingham would cook prime AI. Shows how bad they used to be
That team was so bad offensively.. but they were awesome defensively. When they hit shots… they couldve played with any team… That team needed some more scorers… If AI had a Brunsons Knicks like team hed of won.. they had no offense besides him… They needed more firepower.
You explained this so well, thank you!
People forget Iverson was a better player than Kobe in their first fews years in the league
757.. still get chills. Great performance, good game. Shaq was unstoppable. Shout out to Bubba Chuck AI
Spoiler……
People don't realize the work Shaq put in, The dog used to be skinny👌
Iverson and Shaq in their prime!!
Great game, no flopping and whining, great defense!! 🏀❤🔥🔥
Remember that lakers swept every team in the playoffs up until this game
kobe was so tame back then
I was so mad that lakers lost game 1! We should have gone 16-0
We always hear about and see the Iverson 'step over' of Lue, but they rarely talk about the fact that if Lue doesn't come in and disrupt Allen's play, the 76ers win by 10+.
10:01 thats why most people have Lebron ahead of Kobe that boy was trash earlier in his career compared to LeBron
@6:25 I never knew Iverson did the over the head pick up back in this era!! Wowwwww! 😂 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥
Crazy how that move is now Donovan Mitchell & Kyrie's favorite move! 🔥 ✅ 🫡
yea shaq woulda translated bruh. he's just embiid but a more fluid passer and healthy knees lolol
Kobe played trash, 4pts in first half. Shaq carried this team.
30 point at half time is crazy he was HIM
This is why we don't talk about practice. NOT A GAME
my favorite player ever🖤
Kobe was carried by Shaq in this game
Pixel Iverson vs Blurry Kobe. Stretching out 240p to 1080p is not "HD".
Everyone was saying he wasnt gonna do shit against kobe and shaq and this is what he did in game 1 😭😭 mustve been a crazy day to be alive as a sixers fan
30 of they 56 is crazy
This was very informative, appreciate it.
9:00 was disgusting
I was about 29 years old during these finals and still playing ball 4-5 a week. It’s literally unreal how Iverson who weighed all of about 155 lbs was an is one of the most relentless scorers the NBA will ever see, on the tail end of what many would also agree was one of the most physical eras of all time. There won’t ever be anyone else like him.
Imo the greatest pg ever….better than magic. Magic played with 2-4 Hof…
Jesus love you and died for all of our sins whoever has faith in him will be saved
Bro Shaq was a monster dawg wtf 😂😂
I never understood why the lakers didn’t put Kobe or Rick fox on Allen iverson
R.I.P Kobe and Mutombo 🙏🏾‼️
There have been 7 players in NBA history outside of Iverson to average over 35 points in a Finals series. And Iverson, by far, had the worst supporting cast among them. Not to mention the fact that he averaged 47.4 minutes of playing time, which is absolutely insane.
Considering the 2001 Lakers are undoubtedly one of the best teams ever assembled in basketball history, and this guy went out and scored 30 points in the first half of Game 1… Nobody thought, in a million years, that the 76ers could win that game. NO ONE.
2001 Iverson was a force!