This may be an old man yelling at the clouds moment for me but I wonder when the last generational crossover moment in basketball (or sneakers in general) happened?
I don’t mean the last time a player crossed up his idol or handed out a nice @$$ whooping, but when was the last time we saw a conversation about the changing of the guard, the generational shift, etc. happen right in front of us?
Today in Sneaker History, 1997, Allen Iverson put Michael Jordan on skates with his crossover before knocking down a jumper. I was watching. I was already an Iverson fan, but in that moment, I became a super fan. AI was incredibly fun to watch. He was the hip hop song you find in a juke box filled with pop music. He was half streetball and NBA Hall of Famer.
Iverson finished with 37 points that game. The 76ers still lost. The Sixers only won 22 games that season. The Bulls on the other hand, won 69 and their 6th NBA Championship. Although this moment is one of the most celebrated in Iverson’s legacy, this was 76ers and the Bulls third game against each other. Iverson had 15 points and 5 turnovers while shooting just 30% from the field in the first matchup, in which the 76ers lost by 29 points. In fact, Iverson and the 76ers lost all 4 games against Jordan and the Bulls that season.
It wouldn’t be until January of 1998 that Allen Iverson and his 76ers would finally get a win against MJ’s Chicago Bulls, but history doesn’t remember the losses. Over time, nostalgia kicks in, the comparisons start to shift, and what was one play in the midst of hundreds between the two Hall of Famers somehow became the defining moment for the Reebok Question.
I’m not complaining, it’s one of my favorite moments and one of my favorite shoes. I’m just wondering if we’ll ever see a moment like this for the stars of today or even future generations.
On a recent episode of the podcast, we talked about Anthony Edwards and adidas dropping a commercial just moments after he posterized Chet Holmgren. It’s the closest thing I can think of recently, but definitely not the same as seeing rookie AI with his first signature shoe going against Michael Jordan. Would an Anthony Edwards dunk over LeBron James be the modern equivalent?
