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LeBron: Iverson Is 'Pound-For-Pound Probably The Greatest' Ever

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- LeBron James has won four out of the past five NBA MVP Awards. And the Miami Heat superstar has no doubt about who is the NBA's greatest ever "pound-for-pound" player.

His answer? It isn't Michael Jordan. James says that Allen Iverson takes that crown.

"Pound-for-pound, probably the greatest player who ever played," James said of Iverson to ESPN.

James grew up idolizing Jordan and wore No. 23 before switching to No. 6 when he joined the Heat. James also revealed that Iverson was his second-favorite player of all time.

"I watch Jordan more than anybody for sure," James told ESPN. "But I'll watch tapes of A.I., too. I don't take anything from A.I.. Well, I do -- his will. They say he was 6-foot-0, but A.I. was like 5-foot-10 ½. Do we even want to say 160? 170 (pounds)? Do we even want to give him that much weight? And he played like a 6-foot-8 two-guard. He was one of the greatest finishers we've ever seen.

"You could never question his heart. Ever. He gave it his all. A.I. was like my second-favorite player growing up, after MJ."

Iverson will be honored before the Philadelphia 76ers' home opener against the Heat on Wednesday. The 38-year-old will retire from the league in front of Sixers fans at Wells Fargo Center.

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