According to Allen Iverson’s former coach, Larry Brown, The Answer considers himself the G.O.A.T. Iverson`s undying self-belief is part of the reason he’ll always get love. Per HBO‘s “Real Sports” (via ZagsBlog):
LARRY BROWN: “God put me here to coach him. Now, he might not agree with that. But, you know that was the most challenging thing that’s ever happened to me in my life.”
“He’d probably say the same.”
LARRY BROWN: “Oh absolutely. But greatest competitor of all time, toughest kid of all time, maybe the greatest athlete I’ve ever seen. I can’t walk in an airport, walk into a gym where the kids in the gym don’t come to me and ask me about Allen and tell me he’s their favorite player of all time. And everywhere I go in airports, people look at me and they, ‘You’re Allen’s coach.’”
“When’s the last time you talked to him?”
LARRY BROWN: “He was here (at SMU) about a month ago. He spoke to our team, Bryant, and it was the most unbelievable talk I’ve ever heard. Our kids were spellbound. And he was so open and honest with ‘em. He talked about the good things he did and the things he’d like to change, which weren’t a lot. But the one thing that stuck out in my mind, one of the kids said, ‘Who’s the best player to ever play?’ Who do you think he said?”
“Himself.”
LARRY BROWN: “Allen Iverson. And he said, ‘I’m not disrespecting Michael or Magic or Julius or any of those guys.’ He said, ‘I couldn’t have done what I did at my size if I didn’t feel that way.’”
