Jameer Nelson, the pride of Chester, PA and an NBA All-Star, has a unique perspective on two of the league’s most transcendent figures: Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant. Growing up near Philly, Nelson saw Iverson’s impact firsthand and went on to battle both legends on the biggest stage.
In a candid interview, Nelson reflects on Iverson’s cultural impact, the time A.I. hung 63 on him, and the fierce competitive fire of Kobe Bryant.
Allen Iverson: The Global Icon Who Wrote His Own Script
For a young Jameer Nelson growing up in Chester, Pennsylvania, Allen Iverson was more than just a superstar; he was a revolutionary.
“He’s a global icon, so just imagine that,” Nelson says. “He’s like Bruce Leroy [from the movie The Last Dragon]. AI had that glow.”
Iverson’s significance was particularly powerful for smaller players like Nelson. “He made it real for guys my size to say, ‘Yo, I can do this. Not as good as him, but I can bust my ass and get there!'” Nelson recalls. Iverson’s greatness, according to Nelson, came not from his physical stature, but from his heart and determination.
Nelson points out that Iverson’s tenacity on the court—playing through injuries that “dudes now, they won’t play through”—is often overshadowed by his off-court perception.
“He got criticized for doing things the way he wanted to do them, but at the end of the day, dude’s a Hall of Famer doing it HIS WAY,” Nelson asserts. “He wrote the script for him. He didn’t follow a script.”
Beyond the game, Iverson’s influence permanently changed the culture, paving the way for self-expression. “He was the segway for a LOT of things—the tattoos, the braids,” Nelson explains, adding that Iverson’s legacy made it acceptable for people to express themselves in professional settings. “I work in the business and I walk around with my hat backwards because it’s accepted because of dudes like AI.”
The Rookie Initiation: AI’s 63-Point Masterclass
Nelson’s professional debut against Iverson remains an indelible, albeit painful, memory.
“Do I remember? Absolutely,” Nelson says, laughing. “This is the ONLY dude that I could not stay in front of at all.“
In his first home game against the Sixers, Nelson came off the bench and was tasked with guarding a scorching-hot Iverson, who had already dropped 18 points in the first five minutes. The scoring onslaught continued, culminating in a jaw-dropping performance.
“He ended up with 63 points total in that game,” Nelson admits. “I got about thirty of ‘em. For real. Like, a good 30 of ‘em and it’s NOTHING I could’ve done!”
During the game, Iverson gave the rookie a live lesson. “As he’s dribbling the ball he’s saying to me, ‘Every time you reach, I’m gonna go by you and lay it up!'”
The frustration mounted to the point where Nelson grabbed Iverson and slammed him to the ground. “‘This dude ain’t gonna keep bustin’ my tail in front of my peoples!’ You know? This is the FIRST time I had my tail busted like this,” Nelson remembers.
The embarrassing defeat, however, proved to be a valuable turning point. In his rookie year, Nelson kept a journal, taking notes on his matchups. Against Iverson, the lesson was clear. “He basically told me what to write: Don’t reach.”
Nelson realized the only defensive strategy against Iverson was to contest the jumper and “HOPE that he misses the shot. That’s all you can really do.”
Kobe Bryant: The Mamba Mentality as Motivation
When Nelson and the Orlando Magic faced Kobe Bryant’s Los Angeles Lakers in the 2009 NBA Finals, it was a rivalry rooted in the Philadelphia area’s basketball history.
“If you know the history of Chester and Lower Merion, we were rivals,” Nelson says, recalling getting criticized by locals for wearing Bryant’s jersey after he was drafted. “I don’t care what y’all say. This dude’s a BAD dude!“
For Nelson, Bryant embodied a singular focus on winning and was the ultimate motivation.
“You’re talking about a dude that’s determined and a dude that was going to do whatever it took to win,” Nelson emphasizes. “I tell people the reason why I worked out so much and so hard was because of him… If he was doing it for those many hours, I GOTTA do at least something similar to what he’s doing in terms of the workload.”
Nelson also advocates for more universal recognition of Kobe’s legacy, suggesting his number should be retired across the league, just as Jackie Robinson’s number 42 is in baseball.
“I think anybody who has changed the game, their number should be or should be thought about being retired,” he says.
Looking back at the Finals loss, Nelson doesn’t dwell on it for motivation, explaining that the competitive fire is already within him.
“I got the memories and the feel of what it was to be in the Finals and lose,” Nelson states. “I never had to look back. I carried it with me.”Nelson affirms that playing Kobe was an experience that forced everyone to elevate their game. “It was a dogfight EVERY time,” he says. “Even though he’s not your matchup, he makes you rise up because you know that this dude is coming… We GOTTA raise our stuff up.”
