“Allen Iverson Forced Sports to Accept Hip Hop”: Shaquille O’Neal and Snoop Dogg Celebrate Sixers’ Legend and ‘The Crossover’

Nobody had realized that a certain Allen Iverson, the first overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1996, would change the culture among players in basketball. Iverson introduced the culture of hip-hop to the league, which played a pivotal role in influencing future players’ conduct and styles, over the years. ESPN dedicated an E60 Episode, The Crossover, acknowledging Iverson’s contributions to the league. Shaquille O’Neal and LA rapper Snoop Dogg also celebrated Iverson’s umpteen influence in bringing hip-hop into the NBA.

Allen Iverson’s way of conduct and his dressing style did come to the notice of Commissioner David Stern. Inspired by him, many players started wearing baggy clothes and flashy sneakers to practices, especially during the practices for the 2004 Olympics. This was followed by Stern taking strict measures to implement a dress code in the league, to which several players later protested.

ESPN’s latest documentary acknowledged the influence of Allen Iverson and hip-hop on basketball

ESPN has launched a new documentary called E60 ‘The Crossover’ which intends to examine the evolution of hip-hop and its relation with sports. Celebrating 50 years of hip-hop’s foundation, legendary rapper Busta Rhymes lent his voice to this epic documentary. The documentary video mentions,

“Allen Iverson forced sports to accept hip-hop.” 

Thats true. In a promo shared by Allen Iverson on his Instagram, a part of the documentary focused on AI’s contribution and influence on the NBA’s culture. Iverson had brought the hip-hop culture to the league, which led the way for influencing several NBA players in the future. Here is what Iverson shared on his Instagram feed, with the caption,

“I am who I am, I AM HIPHOP!! Always will be. Thank you HipHop, I love you.”

Furthermore, even Shaquille O’Neal and legendary LA rapper Snoop Dogg gave their flowers to the star Sixers player. Shaq reshared Iverson’s post on his Instagram story, while Snoop Dogg acknowledged AI’s contribution to the NBA by calling him ‘Snoop Dogg of the NBA.’

 Allen Iverson’s breaking of the NBA dress code led Sixers to pay over $200,000 in fines

Allen Iverson had brought in the culture of wearing baggy clothes and sneakers outside the court. Though this may now sound synonymous with the rap and NBA culture, it was not always the case. Seeing the 2004 Olympics team follow the same clothing style during the tournament, the growing influence of the hip-hop culture concerned several head coaches and commissioner David Stern. When the league demanded AI follow the dress code, he unapologetically replied,

“My thing was I dress like the guys from my neighborhood. I wouldn’t wear suits to a basketball game, I never wore a suit to the park. Everybody’s dressed up like they’re going to Sunday school. I just wore what I usually wear. I used to always say, ‘They want me to put on a suit. The outfit that I got on right now costs way more than a suit.”

This led to AI and the Sixers earning fines over $200,000 from the league. AI’s style and influence still have a huge impact on the league. Following several protests, which alleged the NBA for suggesting racial undertones with their dress code, the league finally lifted the arbitrary restrictions and allowed players to express themselves.