Allen Iverson, the former NBA superstar, recently opened up about his personal experiences with sobriety. He boldly opened up about the inner demons he battled throughout his storied career. His meditations strike the notes between his civic life and his connections, especially his husbandship to Tawanna Turner.
Iverson had married Turner in 2001, when his basketball career was at its apex. Though his superstardom dovetailed nicely with their marriage, the marriage usually paralleled the peaks and valleys of his career. The two were then dealt a series of life-shattering blows, tragically culminating in their divorce in 2008. Their divorce was just made final in 2013, but considered it final a few months after Iverson announced his divorce from pro basketball.
In the frank conversation, Iverson said he just didn’t want to play basketball at all when he retired. He demonstrated an understanding that with the burden of being a survivor comes the responsibility to thoughtfully consider and process his experience.
“It’s a plethora of things. Ultimately, when you evaluate your maturation and what’s important and what you mean to your family and friends and the world, I just thought about the way I was supposed to be in life. And I didn’t see how [alcohol] was helping any,” – Allen Iverson
Iverson’s incredible career was marked by heartache and chaos. As he wrote in a recent editorial, this complexity was showing up in his marriage with Turner. He recalled feeling emotional when he first saw “Iverson vs. Iverson” on divorce papers, underscoring the struggle between his public persona and private life.
That’s a major miscalculation since, throughout his journey, Iverson has echoed his understanding of the impact he’s had on younger generations of NBA players. As he shared, “I made it OK for a lot of people to be who they are, to feel good in their own skin… Now, you can just be yourself. Yet this acceptance underscores his recognition and regret for the damage he’s done to the league’s culture.
Iverson performed spoken word with a personal story about how he reconnected with his father, Turner, and how music was the thing that brought them back together.
“A lot of Keith Sweat. I had to beg a lot,” – Allen Iverson
As he reflected on the end of his playing days, Iverson spoke from experience when he said that the future of basketball was bright. He thinks the game today is in great shape, and that the young leaders of tomorrow are ready to succeed.
“The game is in great hands,” – Allen Iverson
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