The life of a professional athlete consists of drastic highs and lows and Philadelphia 76ers legend Allen Iverson understands that quite well. The Hall of Famer had made countless decisions during the course of his career, some of which propelled his career, while others hurt it in some capacity. However, the greatest decision of his life doesn’t come from on the court
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Iverson is a legend for many reasons. He pioneered the integration of hip hop culture with basketball, which remains an important aspect of the NBA’s identity. At the time, he also endured the backlash regarding his baggy clothes and style to pave the way for future generations.
The 11-time All-Star didn’t just embody his style from hip-hop culture, he also engaged in activities synonymous with the community. The most infamous involving going to the club.
Throughout Iverson’s 14-year NBA career, he was a frequent club-goer. During those long nights, Iverson would consume plenty of alcohol. Since he was young, he didn’t see a problem with his actions. But looking back, he claims that the best decision he took was to let go of that life.
“One of my best decisions that I’ve ever made in my life was to stop drinking,” Iverson revealed in an interview with CBS Mornings.
The Hall-of-Fame guard shared that it has been six months since he has been sober. It isn’t hard to understand why alcohol became such a prominent part of Iverson’s life. The 6-foot guard didn’t have the most desirable upbringing to steer him away from bad influences.
On top of bad influences growing up, life just doesn’t pan out the way your expect. In 2013, Iverson and his high school sweetheart, Tawanna Turner, finalized a divorce after 12 years of marriage. That transition was incredibly tough for Iverson, which also led to the seven-time All-NBA guard turning to alcohol.
It took some time for him to realize he had become dependent on it and it was a habit he needed to it. But as the saying goes, better late than never.
“[I feel] better than I did when I was doing it. When you get drunk, you’re not how you usually are. The more and more I see it on other people, the more and more it makes me happy about the decision,” Iverson proclaimed.
Although it might’ve taken Iverson longer than he would’ve hoped to make this decision, he aspires to be a voice of change for the youth. He understands that while alcohol helped him deal with issues, in reality, it was more trouble than what was worth.
Iverson has looked great in these six months and looks to continue this journey of sobriety going strong to close out 2025.
