“People Wanted Me To Be 35 Years Old Right Then”: ‘Honored’ Dwyane Wade Resonates With Allen Iverson’s Message Of Wanting To Be Himself

Dwyane Wade is one of the greatest players in basketball history. And, one of his basketball heroes growing up was none other than Allen Iverson. ‘D-Wade’ and AI have always been close. In fact, the Miami Heat legend wore the No.3 jersey throughout his career in honor of ‘The Answer’. Recently, Wade showcased his respect for Iverson yet again, sharing a story on Instagram from an interview where the Hall of Famer spoke passionately about being yourself.

The 2023 Hall of Fame ceremony is just around the corner, and D-Wade is part of a stacked class. Joining Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol, and Tony Parker, the three-time NBA Champion has asked AI to present him to the hall. This is a testament to just how important a figure Iverson was to Dwyane. A superstar who inspired him to be the very best.

Dwyane Wade shares an inspirational Allen Iverson interview talking about being yourself

Allen Iverson is one of the most iconic athletes in the world of sports. His fashion, his tattoos, his incredible style of play, and his nonchalance for the rules inspired an entire generation of NBA superstars. However, not everyone agreed with his persona, especially some of the old heads in the NBA.

Nevertheless, many young stars looked up to AI and still do. One of them is Dwyane Wade. The shooting guard, who wore the No.3 because of Iverson shared a story on Instagram, where his idol passionately spoke about how he is perceived in the league. In particular, how everybody wanted him to act a certain way, but all he wanted to do was be himself.

In the interview, The Answer speaks about how everyone was shocked by his talent but immediately wanted him to be someone else. However, all he wanted to do was be Allen Iverson. A message that clearly is something D-Wade relates to.

Iverson: “I’m blessed with what God gave me. He gave me a talent man. When I came in this league…the talent that he gave me, people wanted me to be 35 years old right then like, “This guy with all this talent. This guy who you know has the effect on all of these people in the world like this. We want him to be this way. Well, I didn’t want to be that!”

Interviewer: “What did you want to be?”

Iverson: “Me!”

It’s clear to see just how impactful AI has been on this generation of ballers, especially on D-Wade. His respect for his senior is unbound, even referring to him as the “coldest No.3” alongside him. It’s understandable why he would choose him to be his presenter for the 2023 Hall of Fame ceremony.

D-Wade was shocked to hear that Shaquille O’Neal would just let AI score sometimes

Allen Iverson had a game that left many in awe, including some all-time greats, like Shaquille O’Neal. In fact, on The Lefkoe Show, Shaq shocked Dwyane Wade by revealing he just let certain players score because he loved their style of play. This included AI, along with the likes of Jason Williams, Vince Carter, and Tracy McGrady.

This just goes to show how amazing a player Iverson was. He was so good, that even a dominant force like Shaq just wanted to sit back and watch him work.