By Jon Carlos Rodriguez and Ron Evangelista

Who has the better handle, Kyrie Irving or Allen Iverson? It’s Kyrie says one. It’s AI says the other. It’s Uncle Drew. It’s The Answer. Two BuhayBasket writers agree to disagree.

Why does Kyrie have better handles?

Ron: To be curt about it, we have never seen anyone who can manipulate the ball like Kyrie. This guy is just phenomenal. I mean you’d just have look at the way the ball glides through his dribbling—the way he slithers through multiple herds of players for a silky smooth finish.

Hey, I may be attracting controversy with this, but Kyrie is the better ball handler, but Iverson is put on top of the pedestal for most people because he was one of the first guards to disrespect players through streetball moves. Try to watch Iverson highlights, take out the nostalgia factor, and compare it to Kyrie Irving’s handles and examine. Even you will have to admit Uncle Drew is better.

Why does AI have better handles?

Jon: I will admit that Uncle Drew’s dribbling is poetry in motion—polished, smooth, rhythmic. But AI’s dribbling is a 2-minute rap verse that keeps coming at you hard, relentlessly, spewing obscene four-letter words you can’t tell your mama. His moves are electrifying. And so damn dirty.

He doesn’t do his thing simply to make space to shoot a jumper or drive for a layup, hell no. He does his thing because he wants his defenders to feel sorry for themselves for even trying. It’s his “fuck you” in crossover form. That’s why AI has better handles.

Name a Kyrie/AI crossover highlight that made you say, “Oh shit!”

Ron: This one:

Come on, man. Chef Curry was cooked in this highlight. The crossover was so mean even the ref shook, and I don’t blame him. Kyrie can shake anybody off. Well, except maybe the shadow of LeBron (OOOOOHHHHHHH).

Jon: When I think of Allen Iverson highlights, the top two that pop in my head are the one with MJ (wow) and the Tyronn Lue Step Over (damn) in the 2001 NBA Finals. But there’s another highlight from that Finals that made me say, “Oh shit!” and it doesn’t get talked about a lot but I feel like we should talk about it a lot because it’s devastating. It’s the one where AI went from left to right, wiping Derek Fisher off the face of the earth:

Search Kyrie/AI crossover highlights on YouTube. Look at the top result. Who has the most views?

Ron: Okay, this is the most unfair question in this little exercise. AI has amassed millions of followers during his tumultuous time in the league. He garnered a lot of people to watch him because he was different in playing, clothing and attitude. Also, AI has been a known name since his draft in 1996 so, of course, more would view his videos because more people know him. But yeah, AI has more…

Jon: You’re correct, Ron. The Allen Iverson Ultimate Crossover Compilation video has 7.8 million views. And, by the way, it was posted three years ago.

Biggest name that Kyrie/AI crossed up?

Ron: Scratch that. THIS is the most unfair question out of the lot. AI crossed up the GOAT, so I ain’t gonna contend with that, even if I wanted to. But there was that one time Kyrie sort of crossed over LeBron:

Jon: Right again, Ron. Thanks for making the case for #TeamAI. Nothing can beat this rare clip of Jesus and God playing basketball:

Best signature move?

Ron: Kyrie’s best signature move is his wrong foot layup:

It comes so unexpectedly that the defender has almost no time to react or even attempt to block the shot. It’s insanely well used by Irving to perfection. Every single time.

Jon: AI’s signature move is the one where he does something amazing with the basketball, sends his enemies crashing to the ground, and then takes their ankles home with him because they have no use for it anymore.

Are Kyrie’s and AI’s respective crossovers disrespectful?

Ron: Of course they are. Just ask Brandon Knight.

Jon: Super disrespectful. So disrespectful, that you can’t help but respect those who have fallen to AI’s mighty crossover. MJ, Derek Fisher, Tyronn Lue, Antonio Daniels, Isaiah Rider, David Wesley, Chris Childs, Darrell Armstrong, and countless other poor souls, they all deserve medals of honor.

Describe Kyrie’s crossover in 5 words.

Ron: I CAN’T BELIEVE MY EYES!

Describe AI’s crossover in 5 words.

Jon: Too vulgar to describe here.

Who has the better handles?

Ron: Kyrie, for sure.

Jon: AI, for sure.

 

 

 

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