Watch CBS News

LeBron James: 'MJ Inspired, Allen Iverson Was The God'

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- LeBron James had some incredible things to say about Allen Iverson.

In Lee Jenkins' "Where are they Now" profile for Sports IllustratedJames compared the way he was influenced by Michael Jordan and AI.

"[Iverson] represented what black kids were all about and he resonated with every inner-city kid in the world who had a struggle," James said via SI.com. "Michael Jordan inspired me, and I looked up to him, but he was out of this world. A.I. was really the god."

Related: Kevin Durant: 'Kyrie Is Better Than AI'

In the feature, Jenkins spoke with Ice Cube, Tyronn Lue, LL Cool J, along with James, to chronicle Iverson's journey to age 42.

si cover
(Photo credit: Sports Illustrated)

Iverson and James played together on the 2004 USA Olympic basketball team. However, they failed to win a gold medal. AI led the team in scoring, averaging 13. 8 points per game.

Iverson is currently playing in Ice Cube's Big3 league, which debuted on Sunday.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.