The legendary Allen Iverson will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday. Thursday was press day, and as you might expect, the always-quotable A.I. had a fascinating media scrum.
The former 76ers guard got emotional when he was asked about his teammates. A teary-eyed Iverson said, “[T]hat’s the only thing that got me here is my teammates and my coaches. That’s the only reason I’m here. All those guys sacrificed their games and sacrificed different things for me to be honored like this.”
Iverson went far back in his career, also thanking a high school teammate as well as his coach at Georgetown, John Thompson. Widely distributing praise, Iverson said Larry Brown, the polarizing former Philadelphia coach, “molded me into an MVP and a Hall of Fame player.”
Iverson also addressed his fans, with whom he has had a notably emotional relationship. He said having people who supported him “made it easy for me to believe in myself.”
At the start of the press conference, a reporter asked Iverson why he was late. He did not particularly like the question.
Allen Iverson also didn't appreciate being asked about being late to the press conference. pic.twitter.com/LZi55Kuw0m
For more on Iverson and why people love him, read this excellent new profile from The Undefeated.
Iverson’s Hall of Fame speech promises to be engaging. You can watch the full induction ceremony live Friday at 6:30 p.m. on NBATV.
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