It seems that everywhere you go, all anybody wants to talk about is AI and how it’s changing the world. Unlike AI, however, Allen Iverson can tell engaging stories; stories that he didn’t need to ‘borrow’.
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Iverson hasn’t played in the NBA since he retired in 2013, but it’s not an overstatement to say that he changed the world, too. Standing only six feet tall, AI had a game that was much bigger than his height, and his ability to both score and pass presaged today’s era of explosive combo guards.
Iverson was a unique figure off the court as well, with a unique fashion sense that infused hip-hop culture into the NBA in a way that no player had done before. So revolutionary was his style that NBA commissioner David Stern implemented a dress code for players due in large part to AI’s influence.
‘The Answer’ was one of the great nicknames in sports history and he had a reputation for being a candid and emotional interview subject. He was a storyteller and an engaging public speaker and over 20 years later, his ‘We talkin’ bout practice’ press conference still lives on.
Marc J. Spears, the senior NBA writer for Andscape, appeared on the most recent episode of The OGs with Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller and he came prepared with a few Iverson stories that showed what a captivating and interesting figure he was.
Spears talked about a time that he went to lunch with Iverson and former NBA journeyman Chucky Atkins at a Ruth’s Chris steakhouse in Orlando and of course AI had full command of the room.
“AI don’t care what the level is, he gonna be him,” Spears said. “He shows up, we’re all dressed nice. [He’s in] flip-flops, basketball shorts, wife-beater. We’re at Ruth’s Chris, man! Yankee cap, du-rag underneath.”
That wouldn’t get most people in the door of such a fancy establishment, but it was no problem for Iverson. Not only that, he made it a memorable experience for all the other restaurant patrons.
“Remember E.F. Hutton, remember that commercial?” Spears asked. “When E.F. Hutton talks, people listen. I’ve never been in a restaurant where you can hear a pin drop, ’cause everybody was trying to eavesdrop and listen to him tell stories.”
“But when [Iverson] tells stories, he gotta stand up. So he’s standing up in the restaurant telling his stories and his voice is like a booming voice, the whole restaurant is like [listening in] to hear his stories.”
People go to a place like Ruth’s Chris for a memorable meal, but it would appear that the filet mignon and creamed spinach took a backseat that day. Spears has spent his life covering some of the greatest athletes in the world, and it still stands out for him all this time later, because when AI talks, people listen.
