New York, NY (Top40 Charts) If one were to attempt the impossible task of describing the life and career of NBA Hall of Famer Allen Iverson in just a few words, it'd be hard to pick a better phrase than "against all odds". In order to tell the story of someone who overcame the struggles of growing up as a young black man, the son of a 15 year old single mother in Virginia's heavily redlined Hampton community, winning a state championship in two sports as a high schooler as the star quarterback and point guard on his way to attending the prestigious Georgetown University, who overcame legal troubles stemming from a racially-motivated brawl at a bowling alley that landed him in prison for several months and nearly ended his career before it even began (and left him saddled with the racially-charged "thug" label for much of his career), who won an MVP award despite his diminutive (for basketball) six foot frame and carried his team to the NBA Finals, falling just short against the dynastic Los Angeles Lakers, it's easy to slip into sweeping platitudes… but that wouldn't do Iverson any justice.
Allen Iverson achieved athletic success and faced controversy early on. Leading his high school teams to state championships, he later played for Georgetown University before joining the NBA, reaching his greatest fame with the Philadelphia 76ers: use the DraftKings promo code Virginia for NBA action this season, where Iverson's former team has the sixth-best odds (+1300) of winning a championship next season.
Even after his playing days ended, Iverson has met more than his fair share of controversy with continued legal issues and a media circus that won't go away.
In the years after his playing career (which saw him earn more than $250 million in just 14
years) ended, rumors swirled from a handful of media outlets that Iverson had managed to burn through his savings—rumors that were later proven false. Since then, Iverson has managed to branch out from his playing days and find a successful second act. During his time with the 76ers, Iverson attempted to start a musical career as a rap artist, one that was vetoed by then NBA commissioner David Stern because of offensive lyrics.
Much like his love for the game of basketball hasn't waned in retirement, Iverson's love for the rap game remains consistent: here's a look at what the superstar firebrand is up to today.
Iverson last stepped foot on the court as a serious competitor in 2017 as part of the inaugural season of Ice Cube's Big3 basketball league: while these days A.I. has distanced himself from his own musical career, calling himself out for the ill-fated venture in an interview with Philadelphia native (and 76ers and Eagles super fan) Kevin Hart last year, his connections to the industry run deep. For someone who grew up a massive fan of Ice Cube during his days as a member of N.W.A, it must have been a dream come true for Iverson to help get the league off the ground as both a player and a coach.
These days, Iverson stays in tune with his hip hop roots (citing The Notorious B.I.G., Jadakiss, the aforementioned N.W.A, Nas, Snoop Dogg and Tupac as inspirations growing up as a member of the hip hop culture), as well as up and coming artists, saying in an interview with vibe.com that he keeps track of rappers using apps like YouTube, frequented by underground artists trying to find their big break: one such example is Miami-based rapper Zoey Dollaz, who Iverson gave a shoutout to in the Vibe interview.
