As two Hall of Fame players that were both members of the famed 1996 NBA Draft, Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant will always be linked together in the annals of basketball history. Together, they helped to take the torch from Michael Jordan and carry the league into a new era, and in doing so they paved the way for future generations. During a recent appearance on the "All The Smoke" podcast with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, Iverson discussed his relationship with Bryant and revealed that he wishes he was closer to Kobe off of the court. 

"I didn't have a personal relationship with him, but you know how killers respect killers? That's what it was," Iverson said. "He knew who I was and I knew who he was. He gave me that push and I gave it to him.

"I wish I could have had a better relationship with him as far as how great other people said he was, and what type of cool dude he was," Iverson added. "I want that energy around me. He was the ultimate." 

Iverson and Bryant famously faced off against each other in the 2001 Finals. It was the closest that Iverson would ever get to a ring, and unfortunately for him, Bryant, and a prime Shaquille O'Neal stood in his way.

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