“I can’t be the Allen Iverson that you want me to be. The only Allen Iverson I can be is the Allen Iverson that I am. If you love that, then cool. If you don’t, sh*t, fu** it.”
Allen Iverson was recently inducted into the Naismith Basketball Memorial Hall of Fame. But, the man nicknamed, “The Answer,” is not only going down as one of the most entertaining basketball players ever, but as an icon as well. Known for his crossover on the court, Iverson also created a crossover between the NBA and hip-hop culture. He’s exactly what the sports world needed.
Iverson is one of those guys who has been misunderstood all his life. He was born and raised in Hampton, Virginia — the place that made him the man he is today. He was a two-sport standout athlete at nearby Bethel High School, earning Associated Press Player of the Year honors in both basketball and football. Iverson was larger than life before even graduating from high school.
Then, things took a turn. Iverson and a group of friends had been involved in an altercation at a bowling alley, sparking a free-for-all brawl. The fight turned out to be blacks against whites, of course causing plenty of racial tension. Iverson and his friends were arrested. He was convicted, but the ruling was later overturned due to insufficient evidence. “I had to use the whole jail situation as something positive,” Iverson said of his short stint in prison.
Whether it was justified or not, there was now a negative aura surrounding the name Allen Iverson. However, Georgetown University head basketball coach John Thompson took a chance on Iverson and boy, did it pay off. While playing with the Hoyas, Iverson turned himself into a superstar in the making.
The Philadelphia 76ers selected Iverson with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. He proved the team’s front office to be geniuses. Iverson averaged 23.5 points, 7.5 assists and 2.1 steals per game that season, on the way to winning the Rookie of the Year award. That same season, he famously crossed up Michael Jordan.
AI had officially arrived. He was a prolific scorer and the owner of the meanest crossover in the game of basketball. A fearless competitor, Iverson left it all out on the floor night after night. Then, that “bad boy” persona resurfaced.
Iverson had several run-ins with the law following his rookie season. He grew cornrows and covered his body with tattoos. He sported baggy clothes and iced-out chains. He was hip-hop — something the NBA hadn’t quite seen before. In fact, he was the merger between the two entities.
Iverson didn’t try to fit the image the NBA wanted him to have. Instead, he was a trendsetter. He made it cool for small players to have confidence. For many young basketball players, Iverson was the reason they got braids, the reason they got tattoos, and the reason they wore arm sleeves. Many wanted to play like MJ, but they wanted to be like AI.
“I took an ass-kicking for me being me in my career, for me looking the way I looked and dressing the way I dressed. My whole thing was just being me. Now you look around the NBA and all of them have tattoos, guys wearing cornrows. You used to think the suspect was the guy with the cornrows, now you see the police officers with the cornrows.”
Iverson’s range of influence spanned well beyond the game of basketball. To some, he was hero. To some, he was a villain. But, one thing was for certain. Society was watching.
Iverson is probably most famous for his epic “Practice” rant in 2002.
The infamous rant may have stained Iverson’s legacy for some. But, I’m sure if you ask the man himself, it doesn’t bother him one bit.
Allen Iverson’s legacy speaks for itself. He endured a tough upbringing, but made it out and used his gift to changed the way people viewed an entire sport. His influence is still prevalent today.
He did things his way and he did so, unapologetically. Hate him or love him, you must respect him. There is only one “Answer.” We will never see another like him.
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