NBA
Michael Jordan Had No Problem Cursing Out Allen Iverson When They First Met: ‘What’s Up, You Little B*tch’
Joe Kozlowski began his career as a sports journalist in 2013 and joined Sportscasting in 2019. He covers the NBA and soccer for Sportscasting, with specialties in legacy NBA players such as Michael Jordan and Premier League club Arsenal. Off the clock, he's a Kansas City Chiefs fan and a hockey goalie. Growing up loving Shaquille O'Neal and reading everything he could about the great big men throughout NBA history — likely because he was still tall enough, at least relative to his peers, to play center — he's continued to love learning about and exploring the historical and story-based sides of the basketball archives. As for Arsenal, Joe spent a year living in London and latched onto the local support of the club. He's barely missed a match since, loving Arsene Wenger, enduring the Banter Era, and following along through rebuilds. The Premier League interest developed into a passionate following of the Champions League, Europe's big five league, and international soccer as a whole when played at the highest level. Regardless of the sport, Joe is captivated by the stories of athletes beyond the box scores and how they push the envelope — both in terms of what we think a human is capable of accomplishing and how they find new competitive tactics to win.
Get to know Joe Kozlowski betterPublished01 Apr 2021
For NBA fans of a certain age, meeting Michael Jordan would be a life-changing experience. Meeting any celebrity—let alone His Airness—doesn’t always live up to the hype, though. Just ask Allen Iverson about that.
During his rookie season, Allen Iverson crossed paths with Michael Jordan. MJ, however, wasn’t in the mood for pleasantries; instead, he greeted AI by calling him a “little b*itch.”
Michael Jordan was a living legend when Allen Iverson arrived in the NBA
These days, both Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson are both confined to the NBA history books. In the 1990s, though, things were much different.
After making a name for himself at Georgetown, Iverson entered into the 1996 NBA draft. He joined the Philadelphia 76ers as the first-overall pick; despite his diminutive stature, the guard took the NBA by storm. Even if you were a fan of another team, AI’s silky ball-handling and scoring touch was something to behold.
When Iverson arrived in the NBA, though, there was a much bigger man on campus: Michael Jordan. At the time, His Airness had come back from his brief stint in minor league baseball. He had already established himself as a modern great and won three championships with the Chicago Bulls; now, he was back looking for more.
It was in that context that AI and MJ first met.
Michael Jordan called the young Philadelphia 76ers star a ‘little b*tch’ when they first met
RELATED: Michael Jordan Once Denied Allen Iverson the Chance to Play
During his first NBA campaign, Allen Iverson showed enough talent to earn a place in the All-Star break’s Rookie Challenge. While the guard wasn’t getting to face off against Michael Jordan directly, it still put him in a position to cross paths with the Chicago Bulls star.
“The first time I ever talked to him was that year, playing in the Rookie Game,” Iverson explained during a Complex Sports interview. “That was the year they did the Top-50 of all-time … when they had the jackets on and all that. And I saw him.”
As someone who grew up in the 1980s, it’s safe to assume that Iverson held Jordan in pretty high regard. His Airness, however, didn’t exactly give the rookie a warm greeting.
I’ll never forget it because he said, ‘What’s up, you little b*tch.’ I’ll never forget it. I looked at him like, ‘Alright, man.’
Allen Iverson remembering his first meeting with Michael Jordan
Allen Iverson eventually got some revenge on His Airness
RELATED: Allen Iverson’s Secret Talent Is Surprisingly Creative
It goes without saying that Allen Iverson’s first meeting with Michael Jordan didn’t exactly go according to plan. AI, however, managed to get a bit of revenge on His Airness.
Later that year, Iverson captured the attention of the basketball world by beating Jordan with a silky crossover. MJ, it seems, filed that moment away in his memory bank.
“And then one time, I was telling [Jordan] how much I rocked with him,” Iverson continued during the Complex Interview. “He was like, ‘Man, you wasn’t rocking with me like that cause you wouldn’t have crossed me like that.”
Not only did Allen Iverson break MJ’s ankles that evening, but he went on to have quite the career. He spent 14 seasons in the association, taking home 2001 NBA MVP honors and earning a place in the Basketball Hall of Fame.
That’s not bad for someone who Michael Jordan called a “little b*tch.”
Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference
