Allen Iverson was one of the baddest players to ever step foot on a basketball court. Any basketball player including Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal would attest to how great of a player he was. Iverson got it done on the court but was never able to win a coveted NBA Championship. So we wanted to help Iverson celebrate Hall of Fame ascension with the 17 Best Allen Iverson Quotes.
Many would say that Allen Iverson is one of the greatest basketball players who have unfortunately never received an NBA Championship. It wasn’t for his lack of trying though, some may joke that it was the lack of practice.
However, Iverson didn’t need practice, his natural talent was undeniable and when forced with some tough situations and hardships he never gave it. Iverson is a role model for many and continues to be one today. You can check out the 17 Best Allen Iverson Quotes below.
17 Best Allen Iverson Quotes
“I can’t be the Allen Iverson that you want me to be. The only Allen Iverson I can be is the Allen Iverson that I am. If you love that, then cool. If you don’t, s**t, f**k it.”
“People try to start things with me because of who I am, and I know that means I have to stay away. It’s definitely racial.”
“I don’t want to be another Jordan, Magic, or Isiah. When my career is over, I want to be able to look in the mirror and say ‘I did it my way’.”
“This was the best. I won the state championship in football and basketball in high school. I went to the Dance in college. I played in the World Youth Games. Nothing compares to this. Nothing.”
“When you lose, there is a whole bunch of room for negativity and I don’t feed into this stuff and I do not do any talking. I don’t run my mouth.”
“If I can’t practice, I can’t practice. It is as simple as that. I ain’t about that at all. It’s easy to sum it up if you’re just talking about practice. We’re sitting here, and I’m supposed to be the franchise player, and we’re talking about practice. I mean listen, we’re sitting here talking about practice, not a game, not a game, not a game, but we’re talking about practice. Not the game that I go out there and die for and play every game like it’s my last, but we’re talking about practice man. How silly is that?”
“Man, I’m 31 years old and a husband with four kids; I hope I’m no thug. I hear all those negative things and don’t hear anything positive. I think that’s all those people feel… that way that’s all they hear about when you hear Allen Iverson did something negative or something.”
“When you win, everything is everything. But when you lose, it’s all about Allen Iverson and Larry Brown. When we win, I know that I get the praise and Larry Brown gets the praise, but when we lose, it’s on me and Larry Brown. That’s something that I have to learn to accept and deal with.”
“I believe in my heart I’m the best player in the world. I’m just a scorer. I try to put the ball in the basket for my team. I’m just confident in my ability to play ball.”
“I don’t know any first team All-NBA (player) that comes off the bench. Why Allen Iverson? Why should I come off the bench? … I think it is an insult to me. Who I am as a player, who I am to this organization, who I’ve been to this organization, that’s an insult to me to come off the bench if I’m a starter.”
“I see pain after going through what I went through when I was so young. But I see happiness. I see me overcome things that a lot of people would break down [from].”
“If that many people recognize how hard I go every night and what I put into my game, to make myself and my team better, it means a lot to mean. I’m fortunate; I’m blessed to be in the situation that I’m in right now.”
“The gift of this film is that it gives kids from my neighborhood, who go through what I went through, hope. If he did it, I can do it. The little dudes from around my way or little women from around my way, I want them to know they can survive regardless.”
“I owe all of this to the guys I’ve played with and all the coaches that have helped me get to where I’m at right now. I’m honored to be here.”
“I love a lot of people in my life and I don’t know everything about them. Do I look at them bad because they don’t share it with me? No. I feel the way I feel about them. And that’s that.”
“I had to use the whole jail situation as something positive. Going to jail, someone sees something weak in you, they’ll exploit it. I never showed any weakness. I just kept going strong until I came out.”
“A jump shot can get you a shoe deal, a big house, a supermodel, fancy cars, a bunch of yes men, a Swiss bank account. But none of these things can get you a jump shot.”
