Bird once shared how he would coach Iverson: "Once he decides he wants to win an NBA championship, his game will change"

As polarizing and great as Allen Iverson was, he wasn’t the easiest individual to coach. While he and Larry Brown built a good relationship, they also had their fair share of fallouts. However, from the jump in 1996, it was evident that Iverson’s game had potential for greatness.

Larry Bird, who entered the coaching scene with the Indiana Pacers when Allen was just starting to get in his groove with the big boys, had the chance to see it up close. In a 1997 interview, the Boston Celtics legend shared his thoughts on Iverson and how he would approach coaching a player of that caliber.

“Great, great talent. Great talent...I wouldn’t have a problem coaching Allen. I mean, I would like to have him after about four or five years because when you first come in, and you’ve got so much talent like he does, once he decides he wants to win an NBA championship, his game will change,” Bird explained.

The MJ comparison

Bird’s point was pretty valid, as Iverson proved to be a lethal scorer right from the get-go, although it didn’t amount to many wins for the Philadelphia 76ers. While there was no question about his individual quality, it was evident that the flashy point guard needed time to learn the game and adjust in order to become a winner, not just a one-man show.

Larry drew an interesting parallel, comparing Allen to the one and only Michael Jordan. MJ, as well, struggled to get his Chicago Bulls into contention,despite posting astronomical numbers and dominating the league. It wasn’t until seven years after his NBA debut that Mike managed to become a champion. From Bird’s point of view, Iverson was on that same path.

“He might not score as many points, but it’s the same thing that happened with Michael Jordan when he first came in. Once he found out really how to win in this league, he’s never stopped. And that could happen with Allen Iverson, too,” Larry added.

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A.I. never got it together

Unfortunately for Iverson, Bird’s words were close to being prophetic but just not quite. A few years later, in the 2000-2001 season, Allen would become the NBA’s MVP and lead his Sixers to the NBA Finals — just a year after Larry’s Pacers lost there and he resigned from his coaching duties.

However, that was as close as A.I. came to winning a ring, with the flashy guard never reaching those heights again. Numerous individual problems, beefs with coaches and the media made him a more problematic figure than a winning character in the locker room.

Maybe if the duo of Bird on the sidelines and Iverson on the court ever teamed up, this could have been the recipe for him to become a Jordan-esque type of player, but that was simply never in the cards. While A.I. is to this day regarded as one of the all-time greats and talents, he will never have the lure of being a champion — a fact that has excluded him from many discussions about the greatest players to ever play.

Related: Shaquille O'Neal recalled the exact moment he knew Allen Iverson was about to be legendary: "Oh, this kid right here is going to be a problem"

This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Nov 25, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.