The life of a professional athlete may seem like one of glitz and glamour, which is true to a certain extent, but not everything that glitters is gold. Philadelphia 76ers legend Allen Iverson had the world in the palm of his hands. However, the Money, the jewels, the cars, and the fame weren’t enough to prevent him from facing hardships.
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Some NBA players have a clear runway to stardom. They grow up in a two-parent household, with all the tools to fulfill their true potential as a basketball player. Allen Iverson didn’t receive that same privilege.
Iverson’s father, Allen Broughton, wasn’t around during the Hall-of-Fame guard’s childhood. At 13, Iverson saw with his very eyes his father figure, Michael Freeman, arrested for drug dealing. Eventually, in 1993, Iverson himself would struggle with the law for an altercation at a bowling alley.
These few instances, among others, led to the accumulation of traumas and demons Iverson carried throughout his NBA career and his life. One of his ways of escaping from these issues was in the form of alcohol. However, in recent months, the 11-time All-Star has made a change for the better. He had finally had enough of the path he was heading down.
“I just thought about my maturation and where I’m supposed to be,” Iverson said on ESPN’s First Take. “I didn’t see how [alcohol] was helping me. All I could think about is negative experiences. I felt like it would be best for me and my family, physically, mentally, spiritually, for me to get rid of that demon.”
Iverson recently revealed that he has officially been sober for six months. This hasn’t been an easy journey for the iconic basketball star, but a much-needed one, especially at this point of his life. This could’ve been something he pursued earlier in his life but his vision was a bit clouded in the past.
Unfortunately, it took Iverson reaching a breaking point for him to realize how bad alcohol was for him. That realization came following one of the biggest moments of his life.
“It was self-inflicted, but Tawana divorcing me,” Iverson revealed. “That’s when I knew I had hit my lowest point.”
Iverson’s entire perception of love was due to Tawana. The two met during their high school days and officially began dating when they were just 16. The two eventually married each other and went on to have five children. Unfortunately, Iverson’s demons were impacting his marriage in such a dire way that Tawana eventually filed for divorce in 2013.
Even if Iverson wasn’t able to win back the heart of his first love, someone had to make changes. Thankfully, Tawana never turned a cold shoulder to Iverson. 12 years later, Iverson has some good news to share regarding the two.
“Had to convince her that basically this wasn’t the same old me,” Iverson said. “I expressed to her what she means to me in my life and how pivotal that she is in my growth and my maturation and where I want to go in life. I don’t feel like I’m the same Allen Iverson without her, you know what I mean? She is my life.”
Iverson’s story shows how far change can really take an individual. Although his life seems to be back on track, the job isn’t over. The Sixers legend looks to continue to lead this new chapter of his life and not make the same mistakes he did in the past.
