Former 76ers GM once broke down why Allen Iverson was a better pick than Kobe Bryant

Former general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers, Brad Greenberg, previously shared why he thought Allen Iverson was a better choice than Kobe Bryant for their first overall pick of the 1996 NBA Draft.

While Greenberg was already inclined toward Iverson, he invited Bryant, who was a highschooler of 17 years old back then, for a test run. However, in a 2012 interview, Bryant claimed that he was not given a fair shot to demonstrate his skills.

"I guess they saw some of my high school games. That was the only explanation I could think of for not being asked to shoot or dribble or demonstrate any of my skills," Bryant said. "All they wanted me to do was to sprint the court. They timed me on a stopwatch."

In an email responding to Bryant's claim, Brad Greenberg shared that the workout consisted of more than running, as he reasoned his decision of picking Iverson over Bryant.

"He did shooting drills and other stuff … had a great workout," Greenberg wrote. "I just thought Iverson [was] a better selection at the time. I wasn’t comfortable going with a high school kid for the No. 1 pick vs. Iverson."

Allen Iverson went on to be picked first overall in the draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, while Kobe Bryant was selected 13th overall by the Charlotte Hornets before being traded to the LA Lakers.

While both players had spectacular NBA careers, becoming legends of the sport, Iverson's lack of a championship title arguably placed him in a bracket below Bryant.

Allen Iverson admits he feels no regret over never winning an NBA championship

Allen Iverson is a former NBA MVP, four-time scoring champion, 11-time NBA All-Star and a Hall of Famer, however, he failed to clinch an NBA championship over the course of his 14-year career.

In a 2015 interview, Iverson admitted to feeling no regret about not winning an NBA title, while being grateful for having made a mark in the league.

"All the guys that I played with were NBA players," Iverson said. "So, they had to be something. We just never had enough. I just really look at it like it wasn't meant for me like God didn't want that in my life. He didn't want me to accomplish that.

"I accomplished so many things in my life and he blessed me with the ability to do a whole lot of things and that's just one thing I didn't accomplish in life."

Allen Iverson has had one NBA Finals appearance, having led the Philadelphia 76ers to the finals in 2001 to face off against the LA Lakers. However, led by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, the Lakers proved to be too strong for the Sixers, going 4-1 in the series to clinch the championship.