Copyright Mechanicsburg Patriot News
Hall of Famer Allen Iverson revealed some major news about his personal life recently, sharing that he has given up alcohol and has been sober for six months. Speaking with CBS Evening News, Iverson said that, "One of my best decisions that I ever made in my life was to stop drinking." Following the interview with CBS, Allen Iverson sat down with ESPN personality and longtime friend, Stephen A. Smith, to discuss a variety of topics. Smith asked Iverson about his decision to give up alcohol and what went into it. The Philadelphia 76ers legend was very open about the process. “I started to evaluate my maturation level, you know what I mean, and where I should be at 50 years old,” Allen Iverson said. “For me, I’m the smartest man in the world, because I know I’m not. But I feel like a lot of decisions I’ve made, things should be different than they are.” Iverson, who spoke with several media outlets recently to promote his new book, believes that he missed out on several opportunities due to his drinking. He is proud to have put those problems in the past. “I think a lot of things would be better, a lot of personal things would be better, if I took that out of my life,” he said. “And man, I just feel like I squandered opportunities. Just small things, like meetings, zoom calls.” The 50-year-old Iverson released his book earlier this month. On the website for the book, Misunderstood is described as: ”A compelling and candid memoir from Allen Iverson, the NBA’s most misunderstood Hall of Famer, detailing his tough childhood in Virginia, his entry into the league as the number one overall pick, and his controversial, culture-changing pro basketball career. “In Misunderstood, Allen Iverson shares in searing clarity and touching candor his meteoric rise from impoverished child in the Virginia projects to high school champion to Georgetown University protégé of legendary coach John Thompson, and finally to NBA All-Star and Reebok’s Vice President of Basketball." Allen Iverson was drafted by the 76ers with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. He went on to win the 2001 NBA MVP and was named an NBA All-Star 11 times. Iverson also was named the MVP of the All-Star game twice. He was the NBA scoring champion four times in his career and is in the Basketball Hall of Fame. Iverson was flashy on and off the court during his career, which included stops with the Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons and Memphis Grizzlies, in addition to his time with the 76ers.
