Eight years after his retirement from the NBA, Philadelphia 76ers legend Allen Iverson is using his life story as a source of inspiration for the next generation of basketball hopefuls.
The 43-year-old recently made an impromptu appearance in the championship game of the RVA League for Safer Streets, which was being held in his native of Virginia. According to Ali Rockett of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the league is “a recreational basketball league for men 17 to 26 in some of the city’s most crime-ridden neighborhoods.”
Iverson shared some words of wisdom with the people in attendance.
“I live in Hampton. I’m Virginia, y’all Virginia, y’all me,” Iverson addressed the crowd. “Y’all the same dudes that came up where I came up from. … Honestly, and wholeheartedly, y’all can be anything you want to be in life. We ain’t just talking about basketball, baseball, football, whatever. Anything you want to be in life — my mom told me that when I was 8 years old, and I believed it. I’m a Hall of Famer.”
Throughout his life, Iverson did have his fair share of on- and off-court troubles. Nonetheless, the 6-foot guard overcame all the trials that were thrown at him — from both externally and internally — and rose up to become one of the greatest to ever play the sport.
Iverson ended with a very powerful statement by posing a challenge to his fellow Virginians.
“Don’t be Allen Iverson. Be better than Allen Iverson,” he concluded.
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