Allen Iverson Says He Would Average 43 Points Per Game in Modern NBA

Basketball Hall of Famer Allen Iverson was one of the greatest scorers of his generation, but he believes he could've been even greater in today's era.

Players of today aren't subjected to hand-checking on defense and they get to enjoy floor spacing that was previously unheard of in the NBA. During an appearance on The Big Podcast, Iverson was asked by fellow Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal what his scoring average would be if he was playing today (25:15 mark), and he was not short on confidence.

"I lost the scoring title to Kobe [Bryant] the year he averaged 35, I averaged 33," Iverson said. "I'm just thinking like, if I was to play in this era where it's wide open, if I can average 33 in a season, I'm gonna just take it up to 43. I know 10 points more."

This year alone, the NBA has four players who average over 30 points in reigning MVP Joel Embiid, Luka Dončić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Giannis Antetokounmpo. The 2022-23 season saw a record six players achieve the feat, with those four being joined by Jayson Tatum and Damian Lillard. Prior to last season, there were only three other instances since 1980 where at least three players averaged 30 points or more.

Iverson led the league in scoring four times despite being a 6'0" point guard who played in an era where the league was dominated by big men like O'Neal. He averaged over 30 points in four different seasons, so he would undoubtedly have no problems getting buckets if he played in this era.