Tyronn Lue, current Sixers remember the iconic Allen Iverson step-over: ‘It couldn’t have happened any better’
The Inquirer recently asked some of today’s Sixers about their memories of that sequence. And, of course, Lue also provided his perspective 25 years later.
Tyronn Lue chuckled before the reporter could even finish the question.
Do memories of the 2001 NBA Finals — more specifically, being on the wrong end of Allen Iverson’s iconic step-over in overtime of Game 1 — flood back whenever he returns to Philly?
“Every single time,” said Lue, the former Los Angeles Lakers guard who now coaches the Clippers. “You never forget it.”
The 76ers will wear their black throwback jerseys throughout this season, as part of the 25th anniversary celebration of that Eastern Conference championship team. Donning them against the Lakers Sunday night was the most fitting.
Those jerseys are synonymous with that Finals series, and AI’s signature moment. Iverson sent Lue to the ground by pulling back to fire a baseline jumper. After drilling the shot, Iverson stared at — while stepping over — a seated Lue in front of the Lakers’ bench. Though the Lakers won that series, 4-1, as part of the Kobe Bryant-Shaquille O’Neal dynasty, Iverson delivered an all-time highlight play in franchise and NBA history.
The Inquirer recently asked some of today’s Sixers about their memories of that sequence. Kyle Lowry was a North Philly kid at the time. Paul George was growing up in Southern California and would eventually be coached by Lue. Tyrese Maxey, whose exceptional start to the 2025-26 season is drawing comparisons to Iverson, was barely born.
And, of course, Lue also provided his perspective 25 years later.
Kyle Lowry: “I remember everybody driving around, beeping their horns”
Today, Lowry considers Lue “one of my closest friends in the world.”
Yet back in 2001, Lowry was a young teenager feeling like the basketball universe had counted out his Sixers. He was watching the game at home when Iverson went right, created the space for the shot, and “[stomped] with the big dogs,” he said.
“Everybody in the whole city of Philadelphia, at the same time, jumped up and cheered,” Lowry recalled. “ … And then after the game, I remember everybody driving around, beeping their horns.”
» READ MORE: Sixers vs. Lakers takeaways: Tyrese Maxey’s lack of respect, Joel Embiid’s struggles, and more from loss to Lakers
Now, it is “special” for Lowry to wear those black jerseys in his return to his hometown to (likely) close out his NBA career. He is tight with Lue, whom Lowry reminded may have changed that Finals series with his ability to guard Iverson full-court.
And Lowry “knows for a fact” that Iverson and Lue have a good relationship today.
“I don’t think it was nothing disrespectful,” Lowry said. “I think it was just a great moment for the game of basketball, and an amazing basketball play for the city of Philadelphia.”
Paul George: “He was the Man in the Arena”
George was an Iverson fan growing up. But, as a Southern California kid, Bryant “was everything to us.”
So George was rooting for the Lakers during those 2001 Finals. He was “amazed” at how Iverson challenged the team led by his favorite player and the equally dominant O’Neal.
And when the step-over happened, “it kind of was just, like, ‘This smaller guy is a giant,’” George said.
“It just solidified how good he was and his magnitude and just his swagger,” George said. “That’s what I kind of took away from it, was just his confidence and his swagger. In that moment, he was the Man in the Arena.”
George then was coached by Lue during his five seasons playing for the Clippers. Though George said the step-over never came up in conversation, he is not surprised Lue does not view it as a source of shame.
“Kobe said it best: You play against the best players, you’re going to get embarrassed sometimes,” George said. “It comes with it. It’s fun. I look forward to being embarrassed, because I know I’m going to come back for you the next time. It comes with the territory of being a defender.”
Tyrese Maxey: “That was a crazy play”
Maxey was born Nov. 4, 2000 … aka, during that magical Sixers season.
Which means he obviously has no in-the-moment memory of the step-over. The first time he remembers watching it and “actually [knowing] what’s going on,” he believes, was in middle school.
“That was a crazy play,” Maxey said. “ … A wild moment in history. It will never be forgotten.”
Since becoming a Sixer, Maxey has gotten to know Iverson, who is a regular visitor at games and team functions. As a fellow scoring (and smaller-framed) lead guard, Maxey said Iverson’s best advice has been to “just be ultra-aggressive every single time you step on the court.” And Maxey’s torrid start to the 2025-26 season — through Sunday he ranked third in the NBA in scoring (31.5 points per game), while also averaging 7.2 assists and 4.7 rebounds — has been Iverson-esque.
It is poetic that, during this celebratory season, Maxey dressed up as Iverson for the team Halloween party. Asked why that was his costume of choice, Maxey said, “I just thought it was funny.”
Ty Lue: “It couldn’t have happened any better”
Lue said he can now thank Iverson for the step-over. Or, at least, for the opportunity to guard him.
Had the Toronto Raptors advanced to the Finals instead of the Sixers, Lue deduced, he likely would not have played in that series because their starting guards were the bigger-framed Vince Carter and Alvin Williams.
“I could have been out of the league,” Lue said. “ … It definitely was a blessing. Without that matchup [with Iverson], I probably wouldn’t have had as long of a career as I had.”
As that play unfolded, Lue did not think it would become such a “big deal.” After attempting to contest the shot, Lue slipped and fell in front of Iverson’s legs while turning around to see if the ball had splashed through the net. But then “Doug Collins went crazy” on the television broadcast, Lue said, generating even more buzz for those outside the arena.
Lue jokes that he and Iverson were “probably still mad at each other” a couple years after the play. But since then, Lue confirmed they have become “really good friends.”
“We’re close in age,” Lue, 48, said of the 50-year-old Iverson, “but I still idolized him when I was coming up through college, and when I got to the league. Just idolizing somebody who was only two or three years older than you is kind of crazy, but I looked up to him.
“Having an opportunity to play against somebody you idolized was a great moment for me.”
That moment did propel Lue into a successful career as a complementary player, which spanned 11 seasons across seven teams. He is now regarded as one of the game’s most respected coaches, winning the 2016 championship leading the Cleveland Cavaliers and earning a reputation for impressive tactical adjustments.
Twenty-five years later, Lue looks back on that flashpoint of his career — which some might expect would spurn irritation or embarrassment — with fondness.
“It couldn’t have happened any better,” Lue said. “I tell people all the time, he could step over me 50 times, if I get the opportunity [to guard him] again.”