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While known for his flair and attitude on the court, he’s also recognized for his bad boy aesthetic, which at times hindered his success, despite being named an 11-time NBA All-Star, 2001 MVP, and Rookie of the Year with the
Philadelphia 76ers.
But now, at 50, he’s talking about growth and maturity, and that starts with giving up drinking. While speaking with CBS Mornings’ Maurice DuBois, he discussed getting sober six months ago, calling it “one of the best decisions I ever made.”
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“It’s been six months now,” he said around the four-minute mark, adding that he feels “better than I did when I was doing it.”
“When you get drunk, you’re not how you usually are. The more and more I see it on other people, the more and more it makes me happy about the decision. And the more and more I see how the people around me appreciate it, I love it.”
DuBois added that his wife, Tawanna, was happy he dropped the drinking, as it was a contributing factor to their 2013 divorce before getting back together.
Elsewhere in the interview, Iverson addressed his viral (before viral was a thing) “Practice” moment, where he went off during a press conference for missing a shoot-around. He was frustrated with the team’s first-round playoff exit and dealing with the death of a close friend.
While it’s funny to look back on now, Iverson now recognizes he didn’t communicate himself well enough during that 2002 moment.
“I’ve never came out and said I didn’t like practice. That’s a perception that you got from that rant, from the legendary rant,” he said. “I definitely see the humor in it. But if you’re me, you knew what was going on at that time. It wasn’t funny back then, but I was so upset about the practice thing. I could explain myself a little better.
He also spoke about his braid-wearing, ice-out chain-rocking style, which is appreciated in today’s game, and his thoughts on NIL deals.
See social media’s reaction to Iverson’s reflective interview below.
