Image via Getty/Nathaniel S. Butler
This feature was originally published on June 6, 2014.
There has arguably never been a more polarizing player in NBA history than Allen Iverson. Beloved for his gritty, hard-nosed style of play—which meshed perfectly with the city of Philadelphia’s blue collar mentality—and his swagger on the court, Iverson represented a group of people who had previously lacked visibility in professional basketball. In doing so, though, he often rubbed people the wrong way. He constantly faced questions surrounding his style of play and its success, and whether or not his body could hold up in the NBA. But in the face of all of the questions, he remained “The Answer.”
Iverson embodied everything urban and hip-hop during his playing career, from the cornrows to the tattoos. He became a trendsetter, specifically with his affinity for the shooting sleeve, which soon became an absolute necessity for hoopers across the country. While the previous generation of kids wanted to be like Mike, the following one wanted to be like Iverson. To a lot of NBA fans, there isn’t a more revered player.
Still, even with all of the adulation he received, he had his fair share of trials and tribulations. First there was the well-documented bowling alley riot he was involved in during his high school years, which resulted in a brief jail stint. Then, there was his refusal to come off the bench towards the end of his career, which ultimately led to his unfortunate exit from the NBA. His stubbornness was what made him great, but it came at a price.
Iverson was a superstar, and he left little to the imagination; he was an open book by all counts. But despite his lack of filter or censorship, there is still more than meets the eye when it comes to AI. In honor of his 43rd birthday, here are 15 things you probably didn’t know about Allen Iverson.
He dunked 40 times in his career.
He's generously listed at six feet tall, but A.I. still managed to throw down enough dunks to create this three-and-a-half minute highlight video. He also gave Marcus Camby the Tyronn Lou treatment in the clip above, while proving that sometimes a picture is worth 1,000 posters.
NBA's 'Hoop Magazine' airbrushed his tattoos off the cover of their magazine.
Allen Iverson responded to the disrespect by stating, "Hey, you can't do that. That's not right. Hey, I am who I am. You can't change that. Who gives them the authority to remake me? Everybody knows who Allen Iverson is. That's wild. That's kind of crazy. This is the first I've heard of it, but I personally am offended that somebody would do something like that. They don't have the right to try to present me in another way to the public than the way I truly am without my permission. It's an act of freedom and a form of self-expression. That's why I got mine."
He turned down the lead role in 'He Got Game.'
Iverson was the first player asked to play Jesus Shuttlesworth in Spike Lee's He Got Game. After A.I. turned Spike down, Ray Allen took his place...and the rest is history.
He was a star QB in high school.
Iverson led Bethel (Va.) High School to a state title before heading to Georgetown for hoops.
His favorite spot in Turkey was a T.G.I Friday's.
Turkey may be an internationally renowned vacation destination, but instead of checking out the Grand Bazaar, Iverson spent most of his time in Istanbul at a T.G.I. Fridays per this Philly Magazine article. Though to be fair, the two-year, $4 million deal he signed with with Besiktas in 2010 could buy him a lot of two-for-ten specials.
He played with Tim Duncan and Ray Allen at the World University Games.
Not surprisingly, the team with three future NBA Hall Of Famers went undefeated in the tournament, winning the gold medal by just barely topping Japan 141-81.
He lasted two weeks with the Grizzlies in 2009.
After tweeting that "God chose Memphis as the place I will continue my career," Iverson lasted three games with the Grizzlies in 2009. Evidently God wasn't happy that A.I. was coming off the bench.
He once got a technical for "bringing the crowd down."
Iverson's battles with NBA refs are legendary, and it'll be hard for anyone to top this argument Iverson had with ref Bennet Salvator. After encouraging the Philly crowd to chant "asshole" at the refs (TOTALLY JUSTIFIED) after a shaky call, Iverson was hit with a T for "bringing the crowd down." He reacted just how you'd expect him to react.
He's been banned from casinos in Detroit and Atlantic City.
Hopefully Iverson isn't celebrating his birthday at the poker table. He was banned from two Detroit casinos for "boorish behavior" for reportedly "throwing his chips and cards at the dealers," according to the Detroit News. He's also banned from Bally's in Atlantic City for pissing in a trash can, though given the current state of Atlantic City casinos, I'm sure Bally's would welcome him back with open arms.
He has a $30 million dollar Reebok trust fund.
Iverson was Reebok's star athlete for much of the early 2000s, and the brand set up an emergency trust fund with a cool $30 million in it for Iverson in the event that he went broke. The only problem? Some sources have claimed Iverson is struggling financially and can't touch any of his cash until 2030.
His Lamborghini was impounded by Atlanta Police in 2011.
After being pulled over for changing lanes without signaling, The Answer's whip was impounded when cops spotted expired dealer tags. Immediately after the incident, Iverson hopped into his boy's Rolls Royce that was following him, and off he went.
He has 14 tattoos.
The tats are as big a part of Iverson's legacy as his crossover, and A.I. added 12 tattoos during his time playing in the NBA, including seven during his third season alone.
He did jail time for his role in a riot at a bowling alley.
Iverson was sentenced to 15 years in jail for taking part in a racially motivated riot at a Hampton, VA bowling ally. He was accused ot striking a woman after multiple white students at a neighboring lane hurled racial epithets at him. Iverson was pardoned by Virginia Governor Doug Wilder after serving four months in jail.
His childhood nickname was "Bubba-Chuck."
Thankfully this never caught on in the NBA. "The Answer" fits A.I. much better than the nickname his uncles gave him as a kid in Virginia.
He made the shooter's sleeve popular.
After dropping 51 points in his first game with the sleeve, which he wore to combat bursitis, A.I. wore it for every game for the rest of his career. The rest of the league was quick to follow his lead—soon everybody was rocking the NBA's newest fashion accessory. Nike now sells them to the masses for 20 bucks each.