2001 NBA Finals Game 1: Philadelphia 76ers at Los Angeles Lakers, June 6, 2001, Iverson Stepover Lue

PHI 107 LAL 101 Cementing Allen Iverson's position among the basketball elite, the spotlight shone not only on his remarkable skills but also on his unparalleled performance. Iverson had recently completed his sole MVP season, boasting an average of 31.1 points per game, leading the league. He steered the Sixers to the NBA Finals for the first time in nearly twenty years. In a stunning display of prowess, Iverson capped off the game with a remarkable 48 points, securing an overtime victory for the Sixers with a final score of 107-101. Player of the Game: Allen Iverson: 48 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 5 steals In this series, Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the second year in a row, thanks to his dominant averages of 33.0 points, 15.8 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks per game. O’Neal's MVP win was well-deserved. Examining their contributions to their teams reveals: Shaquille O’Neal: 33 PPG, 57 FG%, 15.8 RPG, 4.8 APG, 0.4 SPG, 3.4 BPG, GmSc Rating 27.4 Allen Iverson: 35.6 PPG, 41 FG%, 5.6 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.2 BPG, GmSc Rating 20.5 Kobe Bryant: 24.6 PPG, 41 FG%, 7.8 RPG, 5.8 APG, 1.4 SPG, 1.4 BPG, GmSc Rating 17.2 Dikembe Mutombo: 16.8 PPG, 12.2 RPG, 0.4 APG, 0.4 SPG, 2.2 BPG, GmSc Rating 15.7 During Iverson's 2001 playoff run, Vince Carter proved to be the most challenging wing player to play against for the 76ers. Carter averaged 30.4 points per game, shot 47% from the field, and contributed 6.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.9 steals, and 2.0 blocks per game, producing a Game Score (GmSc) rating performance of 24.3. For reference, a GmSc rating of: 25+ signifies an all-time greatest performance 20+ is MVP-level 15+ is All-Star level Below 14 indicates a role-player contribution During the first two championships of their three-peat, Bryant displayed scoring streaks similar to Iverson but lacked the consistent dominance of a Michael Jordan, a trait he would develop by 2006. Notably, in the 2001 Finals, Iverson outscored Bryant as much as 11 points per game while shooting a similar percentage, but the key difference was the presence of Shaquille O’Neal. Even after accounting for adjusted effective field goal percentage (eFG%), Allen Iverson still outperforms Kobe Bryant on a per-point basis: .441 compared to .429. Iverson often faces double and triple teams as the primary and sole scoring option for Philadelphia, whereas Kobe, being the second option at the time, benefits from open looks created by Shaquille O'Neal's dominance in the paint. When O'Neal is on the bench the Lakers ORTG drops by -12 points. SIDENOTE: During the regular season, the Allen Iverson-led Philadelphia 76ers were on a 61-win pace with a record of 41-14 before trading Theo Ratliff and Toni Kukoc for Dikembe Mutombo. Ratliff, who was an All-Star in 2001, had just broken his wrist, while Kukoc was averaging 8.0 points per game and shooting 41% from three in 20 minutes per game. Following the trade, the 76ers went 15-12, a pace for 46 wins. From March 16 to March 23, 2001, they lost five consecutive games, leading fans to boo Mutombo and coach Larry Brown for the trade. However, Brown felt he had no choice, as Ratliff was out for the season, and the team was going all-in, needing their best chance to succeed. Ratliff, a quick and mobile center, led the league with 4.0 blocks per game and could guard positions from small forward to center. Despite this, Brown believed they needed a bigger body and a better rebounder to compete against Shaquille O'Neal. In the playoffs, the 76ers were pushed to seven games by a 47-win Raptors team, narrowly avoiding elimination due to Vince Carter's missed buzzer-beater. In the Conference Finals, they defeated the Bucks in seven games, aided by favorable officiating and Glenn Robinson's crucial missed shot at the end of Game 5. The 76ers were then defeated by the Lakers in five games, hampered by a dilapidated roster with banged-up Allen Iverson, Eric Snow playing with a broken foot, and the absence of their starting defensive wingman, George Lynch. Additionally, they had lost key players Theo Ratliff and Toni Kukoc in a trade for Dikembe Mutombo. This situation leaves us with another "What If" in NBA history. Although Mutombo won Defensive Player of the Year in 2001, the pre-trade favorites were Theo Ratliff, Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan. The 76ers led the Eastern Conference with a 56-26 record, and some speculated that Mutombo's award was influenced by the team's success. The 76ers were a hot commodity, with Allen Iverson winning League MVP, Larry Brown winning Coach of the Year, and Aaron McKie winning Sixth Man of the Year. While all these awards were deserved, some believed Mutombo's win added to the narrative of their Cinderella season, and was speculated to be a pity vote.