Emmanuel Mudiay, Allen Iverson have special bond, "like an older brother type thing"

Allen Iverson: Top 10 Career Plays

Allen Iverson of the Denver Nuggets in Game Four of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2008 NBA Playoffs at the Pepsi Center in Denver. (Doug Pensinger, Getty)

Not many players as young as Nuggets rookie point guard Emmanuel Mudiay have direct lines to aging or already retired NBA stars.

But Mudiay, 20, now has one to a Hall of Famer.

Former Philadelphia 76ers and Nuggets guard Allen Iverson was named to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Monday. Mudiay posted congratulations on Instagram.

"That"s a big thing," Mudiay said. "A big accomplishment for him."

Mudiay has known Iverson since he was in high school. The connection came when the superstar came to his high school games in Dallas. Iverson remained close to his former coach Larry Brown, coaching at SMU, and Brown recruited Mudiay, who chose to play pro ball in China rather than go to college.

Mudiay has stayed in touch with Iverson. "(We) have a pretty good relationship. Just like an older brother type thing."

Iverson has grown into one of Mudiay"s trusted confidants, always ready with advice as to how to navigate the sometimes piranha-filled NBA waters.

"I saw him when I went to Philly, spent some time with him a little bit," Mudiay said. "I just talk to him when I can, really."

The best piece of advice Mudiay has gotten from Iverson?

"Stay the course," he said. "He"s seen me play since I was little. He"s always saying, "It"s going to happen, it"s going to click at some point." Stuff like that. You just gotta stay confident. By him just telling me that, I"m always trying to work hard and stay in the gym.

"He"s been keeping my confidence up high even when I was at my lowest point. He"s been real good to me."

Nuggets coach Michael Malone said he remembers Iverson as one of the greatest small guards ever to play the game. Iverson is most known for his time with Philadelphia, where he led the 76ers to the NBA Finals in 2001. He played for the Nuggets from 2006-08.

An 11-time NBA All Star, Iverson averaged 25.6 points and 7.1 assists per game with the Nuggets and made two playoff appearances with the team.

"His relentless attack, aggressive motor. I"ve always been a huge Iverson fan," Malone said. "And for him to do what he did for as many years as he did it, at his size. One of the greatest small players to ever play the game Allen Iverson, Isiah Thomas, Tiny Archibald. Allen Iverson was a tremendous player and a guy that every night I don"t care how late he was out, I don"t care what was going on, he was going to give you 30. He had an ability to no matter when he played where he played who he played bring it every night."

Christopher Dempsey: cdempsey@denverpost.com or @dempseypost

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Source: http://www.denverpost.com/nuggets/ci_29724545/emmanuel-mudiay-allen-iverson-have-special-bond