Allen Iverson (AI) and Kyrie Irving are arguably the greatest ball handlers of all time. They both have an amazing ability to control a basketball. Both of them also have crafty finishes, always being able to use any part of the backboard to score. A matchup between these two greats would be very thrilling, but let’s break down who would win in a 1v1.

Ball-Handling

Being able to dribble the ball is one of the most important aspects of basketball. Kyrie Irving and Allen Iverson are widely known for having that skill. Iverson was one of the first to introduce ball handling and took it to a whole new level. The speed, quickness, and control he had with the basketball made him extremely ungaurdable. His famous “Allen Iverson crossover” was a move not even Michael Jordan could stay in front of. This was a crossover nobody at the time could guard. The timing and positioning of the move were what made it so deadly. Irving, on the other hand, is more inclined to beat the defender using his handles, rather than pulling a speedy move. Kyrie would need his handles to blow past the defender, while Iverson’s speed would allow him to beat his man with fewer amount of dribbles.

It is incredibly hard for any defender to stay in front of them, but Irving is a better ball-handler. He is always able to smoothly glide away from the defender; every single dribble and step he takes is calculated—his handles were on a different level. Irving also shot around 40% from the three throughout his entire career. Shooting is a skill Kyrie holds outside of just constantly pounding the ball. Iverson was not much of a shooter, but that was primarily because he never took that many jump shots. He had another assignment: attack the rim and put points on the scoreboard. Iverson was also active on the defensive side and averaged 2 or more steals. He was always out there diving for loose balls and getting all the dirty work done. Kyrie doesn’t contribute much to the defense; we have only seen his effort on the other side of the game during the playoffs and last-second plays. Iverson showed much more engagement and kept the same energy the entire game. Passing was also something he was good at. He was one of the first players to utilize no-look passes. Iverson inspired the entire basketball community with his passing. One of his go-to passes would be him faking the layup and dumping off the ball to the big man. Both players had great handles and finishes, but they also were able to do many things outside of that—especially Iverson.

Finishing

Irving’s layup package at only 6’2 is marvelous to watch. He is the most lethal finisher we have ever seen. Kyrie’s ball control has already been seen plenty of times—but the way he can use any angle on the backboard is mesmerizing. Irving can adjust to his shot in many different ways and has great awareness around the basket. Allen Iverson was way more aggressive when attacking the rim; he was a speed demon and absorbed contact with almost every finish. As Kobe Bryant, the legendary basketball star, said, “The NBA was lucky Iverson wasn’t a 6 ‘5” guard.” Allen would causally dunk over players that were 6-7 inches taller than him. He was the definition of a slasher and was nicknamed “The Answer.” Both players are phenomenal at finishing, but Irving was able to make the most difficult shots possible out of the craziest positions. He may just be the best finisher of all time.

Iverson’s Impact

When most people watch the best athletes, they wonder how a player can do what he/she does and where they get that kind of skill. Although possessing a great amount of skill is a very important quality to have, the forgotten key to being the best at anything is the right approach. Having a good mentality can help you achieve more than you think. Believing in yourself and telling yourself that you’re much better than everyone else will help you develop that killer mentality. This is what Allen Iverson held throughout his entire career. Iverson followed his own rules and never took criticism from anybody, always playing his heart out. His swag walking on and off the court was what made him so dominant. He was just being himself the whole way. Iverson also brought hip-hop culture to the NBA with his tattoos, cornrow braids, headbands, and elbow sleeves, and wore baggy shorts down to his ankles. He changed the NBA in terms of style and approach. The rules were changed because of him—he completely altered the way basketball was played.

Scoring

Iverson won the 2003 MVP while having to go against players like Shaq, Kobe, Dirk, Tim Duncan, Tracy McGrady, Steve Nash, and many more. He carried the Philadelphia 76ers to the 2001 NBA finals, where they would play against an undefeated playoff team—the Los Angeles Lakers. Kobe and Shaq were both playing at the time, but Allen still managed to put points on the table with an astonishing 48 bomb in game 1 to get the win over LA. The rest of the series was given to the Lakers but it was a remarkable effort by Iverson. He had no help throughout the entire season, yet still managed to make it to the finals. In the 2005–06 season, Iverson averaged 33 points per game. This is remarkably impressive, considering that this wasn’t even his MVP season. Allen improved over the years and became a student of the game. That year, he also averaged 7.4 assists and 2 steals on 45% shooting from the field.

Kyrie Irving never earned an MVP, but his prime season, in terms of scoring, was in Brooklyn from 2019–2022. Here he averaged 27 points and 6 assists per game. However, in 2021-2022, he only played 29 games, so there was a lower amount of shots taken. Kyrie might have the skills, but Iverson had the leadership and one of the most unstoppable moves in NBA history. Allen was for sure the better scorer than Irving. Iverson also played through many tough injuries. Whenever Kyrie got injured or felt emotionally detached from the game, he would take a break for weeks on end. Iverson played as many games as he could and did not want to take any breaks, demonstrating the distinction in their mindsets.

The Verdict

Overall, both players are utterly phenomenal and inspired many people along the way. They both have a similar playstyle and dominated the game. However, it was twice as hard for Iverson since he had no help from his teammates and, as I mentioned before, he had to go up against some of the greatest players of all time. AI didn’t need an all-star team to go to the finals, he single-handedly took the 76ers as far as they could go. There was nobody else like him, he held a sacred spot in NBA history. Having that said, Allen Iverson would beat Kyrie Irving in a 1v1 matchup. Iverson constantly lets you know that you’re going to lose: he always finds ways to get in the player’s head. Although Kyrie Irving is a better ball-handler and finisher, Allen Iverson was a scoring machine and carried his formidable work ethic for the duration of his career.

By Pranav Parlapall