Sixers

In Which I Debunk the Rage-Baiting Claim That Jalen Brunson is What People Pretend Allen Iverson Was

By Matt Schultz

Published: Jun 15th, 2026 · 12:27 PM EDT

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The Knicks won the 2026 NBA Finals, and some of the worst people in the world are having the time of their lives celebrating – hacky, attention-seeking media personalities included. A ton of them seem very excited online, and they’re using the opportunity to blast out some of the worst takes I’ve ever read. This one just came across my desk:

Jalen Brunson is what people pretend Allen Iverson was. https://t.co/fZSPDLxYKN

— Scott Kacsmar (@ScottKacsmar) June 14, 2026

This is the definition of rage bait here. I’m going to go out on a limb and guess Scott doesn’t even believe this, but he knew it’d get some engagement, so he tweeted it anyway. I don’t really want to engage with it, but I feel a responsibility to Crossing Broad readers — many of whom, I’m sure, just read that tweet and began furiously punching their keyboards and desks are debating which wall of their office would be the best one to throw their laptop at. First, let me say: I understand. This is good rage bait. It made me mad as well. But let’s all take a deep breath and debunk this dumbass take together. We can overcome this…

The Numbers/Resume Reason This Take Sucks

Comparing career numbers between a player currently in his prime and a guy who played a full career (including the weird, sad end-years that most players go through) doesn’t make any sense, so for this blog, I’m going to reference Allen Iverson’s peak. That’s fair. That’s the argument: Brunson’s peak versus AI’s peak. Let’s say 2001 for AI.

That year, Iverson averaged 31.1 PPG, 4.6 APG, and a league-leading 2.5 SPG on 42.0% shooting. Then he got better in the playoffs, averaging 32.9 PPG, 6.1 APG, 4.7 RPG, and 2.4 SPG. Then he got better again in the Finals, averaging 35.6 PPG, 3.8 APG, 5.6 RPG, and 1.8 SPG. He won MVP that season and stole a game from the Lakers, one of the best teams ever, in the Finals. Pretty damn good. 

In 2026 (the year we’re addressing this dumbass take), Jalen Brunson averaged 26.0 PPG, 6.8 APG, and 3.3 RPG on 46.7% FG, 36.9% 3PT, and 84.1% from the free throw line. In the playoffs, he averaged 28.4 PPG, 6.1 APG, and 3.2 RPG. Iverson’s counting stats are much better. His scoring was insane. People somehow forget this.

But of course, the big thing AI detractors will point to is his efficiency. Jalen Bruson is the more efficient player. Brunson maintained a True Shooting Percentage of 58.0% in the 2026 regular season, 57.3% in the playoffs, and 53.7% in the Finals. In 2001, Iverson’s was 51.8% in the regular season, 48.0% in the playoffs, and 48.6% in the Finals. 

Brunson wins that part of it. I understand. But you can’t just point at those numbers without context. That’s something a baby would do. Let’s be adults here and talk about the 2001 Sixers roster outside of AI, which was ass, and the reason his efficiency was what it was.

The Supporting Cast Reason This Take Sucks

The 2001 Sixers were built around defense and rebounding and praying Allen Iverson made shots. That was it. That was the plan every single game. 2001 AI’s usage was way higher (36% in the regular season, 36.6% in the playoffs) than 2026 Jalen Brunson’s (30.4% regular season, 32.6% in the playoffs) because it had to be. AI shot the ball way more (27.8 FGA per game in the regular season) than Brunson did (19.9 FGA per game in the regular season) because he had to. The higher your usage and the more you shoot, the more your efficiency is going to dip. Pretty simple. At this point, I’d guess an AI critic would say something like, “Well, Iverson could’ve been more of a playmaker. He should’ve shared the ball more and shot less, like Brunson.” To that I’d reply: Baby take. You know nothing. His team was so, so bad compared to Brunson’s.

AI never, ever came close to playing with a roster as talented as the 2026 Knicks. Brunson’s supporting cast featured 5 double-digit scorers, led by Karl-Anthony Towns (20.1 PPG) and OG Anunoby (16.7 PPG). Brunson’s top 5 teammates averaged 15.0 PPG this year. In contrast, the 2001 Sixers had only 3 double-digit scorers, led by Theo Ratliff (12.4 PPG) and Dikembe Mutombo (11.7 PPG), with Iverson’s top 5 teammates averaging just 11.0 PPG.

Go ahead, look at the chart. Look at the difference in talent. What are we even talking about here…

Sixers vs. Knicks Cast

Rank	Sixers Player	PPG	RPG	APG	Knicks Player	PPG	RPG	APG
1	Theo Ratliff	12.42	8.26	1.16	Karl-Anthony Towns	20.05	11.85	3.01
2	Dikembe Mutombo	11.69	12.38	0.84	OG Anunoby	16.68	5.23	2.16
3	Aaron McKie	11.55	4.09	4.96	Mikal Bridges	14.40	3.80	3.70
4	Eric Snow	9.82	3.32	7.38	Josh Hart	12.00	7.36	4.80
5	Tyrone Hill	9.57	9.03	0.63	Miles McBride	11.97	2.43	2.58
2001 Sixers vs 2026 Knicks

The Cultural Reason This Take Sucks 

Iverson was important. Brunson is not. 

Iverson changed the NBA. Brunson will not. 

Iverson was a global phenomenon and icon. Brunson is not. 

Iverson was not coached by his weird, aggressive dad. Brunson is. 

Iverson looked cool as hell. Brunson has never looked cool in his life. 

Iverson is remembered as one of the best players to ever play the game. Jalen Brunson is a borderline top-10 player in the league during his best seasons. Brunson had a great run in these playoffs. But he’s not near AI territory and probably never could be. 

A Final Parting Thought

Re-litigating players’ reputations twenty years later is dumb as hell. 100% of the time, players were exactly who we remember them being. Basketball has changed a ton over time and will continue to – it’s like everything – but that doesn’t mean the reality that existed before was somehow incorrect. It was exactly what it was. We were all there. Grading Iverson’s shooting percentages by today’s standards and concluding he wasn’t as good as we thought is like saying Jim Carrey always sucked and was weird as hell because he talked to animals in Ace Ventura and that wouldn’t work The Drama. No shit dumbass! Stuff is different at different times. Allen Iverson was the greatest. Jim Carrey was the greatest. Once again, saying otherwise is a baby take. Grow the hell up…

Kinkead: I have one more to add. A.I. played half of his career in the hand checking era. It used to be a more physical and disruptive game back then. Two different eras. He wasn’t going over screens and then dribbling at the elbow, waiting for contact from behind. Brunson is a great player but this defensive era is largely bullshit compared to what guys dealt with 25-30 years ago.