The Philadelphia 76ers have all the recipe for a historic season. To begin with, LeBron James arrived in the city with the experience of four NBA championships. But his new team still has to prove it can turn its star power into another deep playoff run. The 76ers have not reached the NBA Finals since 2001, when Allen Iverson led them there. That’s a quarter century ago.

Now, the franchise legend believes James can end that drought and has absolutely no doubt about it. 

“The first time since ’01? I know for a fact it’s gonna happen,” Iverson said, speaking to FOX 29’s Jeff Skversky in a viral one-on-one interview at a public event.

His answer was immediate.

The reporter wanted to know only one thing: “Why you so confident?”

“Because I’m confident in the ability of the guys we have on the roster. I’m confident in our coaching staff. I’m confident in Kevin Johnson, you know what I mean, the trainer, and all the people that we got in place to help us make this thing go. You know what I mean? And most importantly, we got the best fans in the world. You know what I mean? They gonna show up and show out for us. This is it. We gonna have a parade. I promise you that,” AI said.

When Skversky asked whether he had told LeBron James about his prediction, Iverson replied, “He know it. I don’t have to tell him that.” 

“He’s been there, done it. You know what I mean? He’s had the recipe to be able to do it. He ain’t never had nothing like this.”

The endorsement carries extra weight given James’ admiration for Iverson. 

LeBron James once described the Sixers legend as a basketball “god” when discussing the players he looked up to growing up. Now, the player who inspired him is publicly backing his latest championship pursuit. The circle of life. Technically, he’s out there doing ‘God’s’ unfinished business.

Philadelphia has reasons to believe, but the team is still building chemistry around its new-look core. 

Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown provide a young scoring engine, while VJ Edgecombe adds another promising piece.

Head coach Nick Nurse and longtime athletic trainer Kevin Johnson also earned Iverson’s confidence, with the latter having worked with the organization since 2003.

His mention of Johnson reflects the importance of keeping a demanding roster healthy throughout the season. Especially with the team dealing with veterans like LeBron James and injury-prone Joel Embiid.

Iverson’s prediction is about more than reaching the Finals. His promise of a parade signals that he believes Philadelphia can finish the job, not simply return to the stage it last reached with him in 2001. For now, Iverson has made his position unmistakable: he expects a championship celebration in Philadelphia.