CG asked me to add on to his Allen Iverson retirement post but I feel AI is worthy of two entries if not more. Living all of my adolescent life in the DMV area, Allen Iverson is a name we’ve held to a very high regard for over a decade now. From his days at Georgetown where coach Thompson took a chance on him, to setting the league on fire with his patented crossover, Dr.J afro, jewelry and tats. Long before Jay-Z became the epitome of ‘cool’ there was Iverson. Every boy wanted to be him and every girl wanted to be with him.

Needless to say I practiced the dribbles in the mirror, bought the shoes, and at one point even tried to grow the hair. More important than the aesthetics is the hope that AI gave to all of us. He was our height, from our neighborhood, with a past that would make the strongest individual crumble. I remember the stories of him visiting his biological father in jail and giving him the sneakers off his feet. Or the governor pardoning him after serving jail time for his part in a bowling alley brawl which bystanders say he was simply trying to break up. Basically, he had it rough.

That’s why every time I saw him speeding down New York Avenue in his silver Lamborghini or on Florida Avenue with his Rolls Royce Phantom, I made it a point to let him know that I appreciated everything he’s done for the game and for us underdogs. As I grew older I made friends and associates with people close to AI and through them I was able to get an even closer look into his life. A former athlete client of mine is good friends with AI and he knows him simply as “Bubba Chuck”, a nickname used by close friends and family. Everyone of them will tell you that Bubba Chuck is the most down to earth superstar you will ever meet. I can vouch. Two summers ago I saw him stand in the rain barefoot (after giving away his sneakers) shaking the hands of every kid that came to his charity football game.

So with all that said, thanks Allen. I caught the tail end of the Michael Jordan era. Magic and Isaiah were way before my time. Allen Iverson was the only player that could even get my mother to tolerate basketball. If he was playing, the TV didn’t have to go off, even on school nights. When you are who you are and you give your heart and soul to what you do, people tend to like you like that. I’ll remember the “practice” rant. I’ll remember the sub par rap album. I’ll even remember the fiasco that one summer with wifey. But none of those things can overshadow who The Answer really is; a warrior, a humanitarian, a family man, and a basketball legend.

I think this video sums up Allen Iverson and his ability to overcome obstacles.

-Phella

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