The retired Philadelphia 76er gave a heart-tugging speech that gave thanks to his family and friends, his Georgetown University coach John Thompson, and the artists that soundtracked his basketball career including Jadakiss, Redman, Biggie Smalls, Michael Jackson, and Tupac.
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He paid special attention, however, to Michael Jordan, whom Iverson idolized.
Others inducted on Friday included 11-times All-Star Iverson, the first overall pick in the 1996 National Basketball Association draft, as well as Sheryl Swoopes, a three-time gold medallist on the United States women’s Olympic team, and the first player to be signed in the WNBA. Iverson was being heavily recruited for both football and basketball, but he lost nearly all offers from colleges after he was involved in a bowling alley brawl. For him it seemed right.
His speech had serious moments like thanking his parents, Phil Harrison and Lucille O’Neal, for giving him the discipline and drive that drove his National Basketball Association dream.
Iverson said that Jordan was his idol, as he wanted to be like Mike. “And that’s insane to think that you’re the best football player in the world, which I did, and to be sitting up here as a Hall of Famer in basketball, you tell me God ain’t good”. “The gift I get from you, is not only the height but the way you taught me to think, and to make decisions”. “Because I need practice more than him”.
“[After] the incident happened in high school and all that was taken away … no other schools would recruit me anymore”, Iverson recalled, referencing a racial brawl at a bowling alley that landed him in jail.
Added Iverson: “My relationship with the fans in Philadelphia is like no other”. He won the title four times, the Finals MVP 3 times and the regular season MVP once. I don’t know if y’all watch the Chappelle Show, but he talked about in a certain episode where somebody’s seeing Rick James, and, like, I literally saw his aura. It looked like he was glowing. I can’t stop looking at him. “Kobe Bryant, a guy who would push me and help me win three titles, but who also helped me get pushed off the team and traded to Miami”.
Shortly into his acceptance speech, an emotional Iverson paid homage to the man who gave him an opportunity when nobody else would, an opportunity that led to a Hall of Fame basketball career and, as Iverson put it, saved his life.
“But once I started to listen to Larry Brown and take constructive criticism, I learned how much of a great, great coach that he really is”.
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Finally, Iverson ended by thanking his wife, saying it was going to be “kinda hard”.
