It’s difficult to remember a time when Allen Iverson wasn’t the life of the party. He celebrated his 50th birthday this year in style, but something — or rather someone else — stole the show. Over a decade after their divorce, AI and Tawanna Turner appeared to be reunited. There was actual joy on their faces while dancing. One thing that’s a fact, though, is that Turner has continued to support the retired hoopster regardless of the circumstances. Recently, Iverson spoke about a tough decision that he took personally after putting himself in his ex-wife’s shoes. And it’s a very different AI from the one we’ve known.

In a revealing sit-down with Stephen A. Smith, the ESPN analyst asked Iverson how he views Turner’s influence in his life now, in retrospect, compared to his playing days. “She had to be extremely strong then, but, um, I’m around a lot more now. I’m around a lot more now,” he told Smith.

Iverson and Turner were married from 2001 to 2013, during the prime of AI’s career. His fame and lifestyle subsequently put considerable pressure on his personal life. He took responsibility, saying, “I’m 50 years old. A lot of the things that I did then, I mean, I couldn’t. I’ll give you an example. Six months ago, I stopped drinking, and it’s the best feeling in the world. But I’m still around family members and I’m still around friends, right?”

“And they ain’t going to stop drinking. They going to do what they want to do,” Smith quickly replied with a chuckle.

“Right,” Iverson said.

The Answer sat down with CBS this month to talk at length about his memoir, Misunderstood, and quitting alcohol, a decision he claimed is his biggest off-court victory. In front of Stephen A. Smith, he revealed this was a win for his relationship with Turner too.

AI called it an “embarrassing feeling” to now sit at parties where everyone is drinking, and then imagine, “that used to be me.” That brought him to a regretful realization. “She [Turner] dealt with that for 35 years. For her to be that strong and to the love for me, Steve, to put up with that, man, and everything outside of just that, turning into somebody that you’re not, being a person that she couldn’t recognize, it was a lot, man,” Iverson admitted.

Turner had to put up with a lot more than his drinking back then. But her grace from that period is helping Iverson realize and mend his ways right now.

An Allen Iverson moment from 2002 that still sends shivers to this day

During the above-mentioned CBS interview, it was revealed that Allen Iverson and Tawanna Turner remained together even after their 2013 divorce. The mom of five was apparently happy that AI quit alcohol, which Gayle King and her associates claimed was a “big aspect of his life.”

However, one of the most bone-chilling incidents in their marriage was in 2002. After a heated dispute one night, Tawanna Turner checked herself into a hotel. AI, reportedly with an intention to mend things, barged into another residence while wielding his firearm, mistakenly assuming his wife was there. The hoopster faced felony charges that were later dismissed, yet the incident brought immense scrutiny to their marriage.

Many such incidents scarred Allen Iverson’s life. Despite the fights, his drinking, partying, being away for games, and the repeated clashes with NBA commissioner David Stern, Turner stuck with him.

“I started to evaluate my maturation level. You know what I mean? Where I should be at 50 years old being the how, you know, for me, I know I’m the smartest man in the world because I know I’m not. But I feel like a lot of decisions that I made, things should be different than they are. I’m not saying that I’m not satisfied, and I’m not happy and content. Well, I’m not content with where I’m at, but I think a lot of things will be better,” Iverson told Smith.

Lead Editor’s Note: I’ve been watching the NBA for decades now, and I wholeheartedly appreciate that Iverson has found ‘the soul’ within him. Often, we get so technical about LeBron breaking some bizarre 30-year-old record or debating whether Luka is better than him, or whether he can replace King James, but in the process, we lose sight of that human element and forget that these players have lives. They return home to their family. They’re normal human beings just like each of us. Be kind. Even if your team loses the game or your favorite player has a bad day on the court.