Drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers as the no.1 pick in round 1 of the 1996 NBA draft, The Answer is a certified NBA legend. The NBA Hall of Famer has a Most Valuable Player award, a Rookie of the year award and an Olympic Bronze medal among many other accolades that he received during his league career.

In a recent interview, AI opens about his childhood idol Michael Jordan who gave him “…the vision to be a basketball player.”

“Where does the story of your playing style begin?” Allen Iverson is asked

In the interview by GQ, Allen Iverson responds, “I learned from Mike. I always looked at him like a superhero. That was my guy. The way he wore his wristband, the bald head. I used to like when he had that bald head with the goatee and the brace around his shin, on his calf. The man was my hero. I remember crying back when the Pistons (Isiah Thomas’ team) used to beat on him.”

The NBA legend then mentions, “My mom had a TV sitting on a dresser, and I used to sit this close to the TV [puts his hand up to his face], know what I mean?” and his mom would scold him, “Back up before you go blind!”

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Iverson claims, “That’s how much I loved him. I wanted to be that close to him. He gave me the vision to be a basketball player.”

The NBA Hall of Famer explains further, “I wanted to be looked at like him. I wanted to be feared like him. I wanted to be popular like him. I wanted to be in game situations like him. I wanted to dominate like him. I wanted to be the guy that walk up in the room and then drain the goddamn room, regardless of who in there.”

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Fittingly, Allen Iverson himself had one of the most lethal crossover moves in NBA history and was feared by many, right from the beginning of his NBA career.

Iverson’s champion mindset is a model for generations to come

Iverson’s greatness was not just restricted to the court, as he was widely regarded as a ‘style icon’ during his era.

The Answer would wear baggy tracksuits and chains and show off his tattoos, exhibiting a whole lot of individual styles that many did not consider acceptable during the ’90s. As a result, an ‘NBA dress code’ was instituted but the legend couldn’t care less.

Despite having to pay multiple fines, the NBA legend did not follow the NBA dress code and wore what he thought made him look stylish. What Allen Iverson meant to the NBA cannot be measured by words or by numbers. His impact off the court inspired NBA players of the future to be themselves despite the pressures from the outside world.

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What are your thoughts on Allen Iverson’s NBA journey? Let us know in the comments below!