If the 1996 draft is re-elected, Iverson will still be the No. 1 pick because Kobe is accumulating strength

On July 13, the 1996 NBA Draft was hailed as one of the greatest draft years in history, with many superstars who changed the league structure. If time goes back and choose again, Allen Iverson will still beat Kobe Bryant to become the No. 1 pick. This is not a denial of Kobe's legendary career, but is based on the fundamental difference in the career trajectory of the two - Iverson is a "complete product" with an explosive combat power, while Kobe is a "potential stock" that needs to be crafted.

**1. Comparison of dominance in the rookie season: that is, combat power determines the number one pick**

In the 1996-97 season, Iverson averaged 23.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 2.1 steals per game, winning the Best Rookie, Rookie First Team and All-Star Rookie MVP. He scored 30 points in his debut, scoring 40+ points in four seasons, becoming the first rookie in the history of the 76ers to score more than 1,000 points in a single season. This dominant performance directly confirms the business judgment of Philadelphia management that "you can sell tickets by choosing AI" - his crossover swipes past Jordan's shot and made headlines in global sports media that season.

In contrast, although Kobe has set the youngest appearance record as a high school student (18 years and 72 days), he averaged only 7.6 points per game in the rookie season, and most of the time he played as a substitute for Eddie Jones. Lakers coach Del Harris once recalled: "He always wanted to play in Jordan's way during training, but even the basic triangular offensive running was often wrong in the game. "It was not until Phil Jackson took charge in 1999 that Kobe's tactical status was truly improved. This growth curve proves that even with historical talent, the 17-year-old Kobe still needs a 3-4-year training cycle.

**2. Instant cash in commercial value: the underlying logic of the No. 1 pick**

The then general manager of the 76ers, Brad Greenberg, revealed in the documentary "The Draft": "We have evaluated the possibility of trading the No. 1 pick, but Iverson's jersey pre-sale volume broke the team's record before the start of the game. " According to Forbes statistics, Iverson's rookie season led to a 43% increase in ticket revenue for 76ers, and his home attendance rate jumped from fifth to eighth place in the league. His hip-hop style and rebellious image have become key pieces of the NBA's globalization strategy. Before Stern deliberately revised his dress code in 1997, the league acquiesced to appear in a headband and oversized jersey.

Kobe has experienced a typical "Los Angeles Development Plan". When Jerry West traded the No. 13 draw with All-Star center Divac, he was interested in his potential to "become a superstar in five years". Jenny Buss, vice president of commercial operations at Lakers, once admitted: "Before 1998, the number 8 jersey sales did not even rank in the top five of the team. " This lag in commercial value is a fatal injury in the selection of the No. 1 picks in any era.

**3. The adaptability of the technical style: The answer is more in line with the needs of the 1990s**

The NBA was still an era of insider fighting, and the rules allowed hand-checking (with hands-on contact restricting offensive players). Iverson's height of 1.83 meters was able to average 26.8 points per game with a shooting rate of 41.1% (1998-99 season). His breakthrough speed (100 meters and 10.3 seconds) and directional amplitude (the official measurement of crossover amplitude reaches 50 cm) perfectly cracked the defensive system at that time. In the 1997 playoffs against the Bulls, he still scored 44 points in a single game against Rodman and Pippen. This plug-and-play scoring explosive power is the core trait that the team needs most.

Kobe relied heavily on mid-range jump shots in the early stages, and his three-point shooting percentage in the rookie season was only 37.5%, and his back-to-back skills only matured after 2000. Former NBA scout director Marty Blake pointed out: "If the Spurs (with the No. 1 pick) may choose Duncan to enter the league one year ahead of schedule, but will never use the No. 1 pick to bet on a point guard who needs O'Neal to lead the growth. "

**4. Dynamic evolution of historical status: dialectical analysis of accumulation and debut**

Kobe's five-winning achievements in his later career did surpass Iverson, but the essence of the draft is an assessment of the development expectations of rookies in the first 3-5 years. Iverson led the team to the finals with a single core in 2001, and won the MVP + scoring king + steal king + AMVP in the same year; and Kobe was not selected for the Best Team for the first time until 2004. Former Grizzlies general manager Billy Knight said: "The No. 1 picks for 100 times are still AI, just like in 1984, the Rockets would not give up Olajuwon because of Jordan's later achievements. "

It is interesting that the career trajectory of the two is just like two sides of the coin: Iverson was selected as All-Stars four times during his rookie contract, while Kobe only once in the same period; but at the age of 35, Kobe was still in the finals, and Iverson had faded out of the league. This difference just confirms the rational choices of each team in 1996 - what is needed to rebuild the team is to save the box office immediately, rather than the future super giants that need to be incubated by the giant system.

**Conclusion: **

History has no if, but basketball philosophy is eternal. Iverson represents the lone heroism of "win now", while Kobe interprets the long-termism of "the future domination alliance". At that specific historical node in 1996, when the Philadelphia 76ers looked at the bleak record of less than 30 wins for five consecutive years, and when Stern urgently needed a burst point to break the market downturn after Jordan retired, the answer was already destined - Allen Iverson, the answer wearing the No. 3 jersey will always be the undisputed No. 1 pick in the 1996 class.