Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee has named former NBA superstar Allen Iverson as one of his sporting idols, having taken an interest in basketball as a teenager.
Iverson was the first overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft, and Zirkzee’s choice may be so strange given that the Philadelphia 76ers point guard enjoyed the most success of his career, becoming MVP of the ‘NBA, exactly one week before the United footballer was born. But by his own admission, Zirkzee took special notice of Iverson by watching a documentary about his career.
Zirkzee didn’t specify which documentary it was, as there have been more than one over the years, but IVERSON was released in 2014 and was #3’s story in his own words.
“I started watching basketball when I was about 15, 16 maybe, and it started with Michael Jordan and the big guys,” Zirkzee said. United’s official magazine.
“But the main reason I started watching real basketball and really got into it was a documentary about Allen Iverson, and he was the first player I ever really saw.
“I was like, ‘Oh, it’s so different,’ you know? That’s probably why I got into basketball. America is so different. There’s just certain things you can relate to. That really inspired me. So did he he did. and still being himself.
Basketball has shaped Zirkzee’s life in other ways, choosing to name his dog Kobe after the late LA Lakers icon Kobe Bryant, because it’s a “cool name.”
Although the NBA is popular around the world, the league has seen very few Dutch players over the years – just five, compared to other more prolific European countries. All were centers and Rik Smits, who had 12 years with the Indiana Pacers from 1988 to 2000, is the standout.
