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He might have been the most beloved and the most hated athlete in
the city of the brotherly love. But coming up: why the answer still
can't shake the question about the perception of this public enemy.
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[Father Figure]
SAS: Earlier you had alluded to one Mr. John Thompson, playing
the ball in Georgetown for him. How was that for you?
AI: The greatest experience, ever. I had just came home from
jail. I had to come home to get my school thing together, graduate,
whatever. Then I went straight there September. He was just the
greatest guy coz he didn't let people bother me. Everybody, as
far as the media, wanted to attack me. They want to get at me.
They wanted to have that space, to be able to run upon me and
talk about the situation. This stuff was all the time. He kept
people away from me. He kept agents away from me. Everything. He
was like the father figure away from home. When I used to mess up
at school, he never punished me as far as run-in and suicide. All
he used to tell me was, "Look man, you want your mom to continue
to live where she lived at. You want to live in that sewer?
You want your sisters to grow up there? That's what you want outta
your life? You wanna be a bum?" That was how he talked to me. That
was enough to get me back on track.
SAS: Now for those who don't know John Thompson who you alluded
to, you alluded to John Thompson and Larry Brown as being father
figures to you. Your father, growing up, can you explain that
situation?
AI: I have the greatest respect for him. My father was in and out
of prison all my life and his life. But I love him. People make
mistakes. But he was right there. People always think I
came from a single parent home. But they were together all my
life, my mother and my father. I had a father. I really had a
father. I'm just saying the things that these older guys did
for me, they were father figure-type things.
SAS: I remember one of the times when--I am asking this because
if John Thompson resembled a father figure, it was this moment
--I don't even remember what the sign said, but even if I can
remember, let's just say we can't repeat it on the air. John
Thompson...
AI: I would be...
SAS: Go ahead, repeat it.
AI: It said, "Allen Iverson, the next MJ" and had that crossed
out and "OJ" under it. They had four guys in orange jump suits
and hand-cuffs and all that. Coach Thompson went to the refs
and told them, "If y'all don't take this stuff outta here,
then we leavin'. We getting off the court." They acted like
they didn't want to take the stuff down. Coach Thompson told
us, "Get off the court." And the referee stopped us and made
them put the stuff down. That was in Villanova, Philadelphia.
SAS: So it was still in Philadelphia.
AI: Those people are still in Philadelphia. Those mean, mean-
spirited people are still there. As much as I love philadelphia
, I mean, I look at it like, they don't know what they're
doing. Forgive them. I ask God to forgive them for what they
not know. For real. I had a guy saying I don't care anything
about my kids in Philadelphia. A radio guy. "I don't care about
my kids." The worst thing you could ever say about a man. He
said those things to me, but he pitched at my celebrity softball
game. You know what I'm saying? (aud. laughs) Like, what is
your mentality? You just woke up, mad at Allen Iverson today?
There's some mean-spirited people in Philadelphia, real mean-
spirited people. It's like that everywhere. I understand that.
I accept that part of life. But there's a whole bunch of love in
Philadelphia. There's more love than hatred in Philadelphia for
Allen Iverson. That's why I'll go. One kid say, "Allen Iverson,
I love you." and listen to any advice. I feel I did something.
I accomplished something on this earth. I don't know when 20k
people came to see me at night, if they love the game, or they
love me as a person, or whatever. But I know if they can take
something from that experience and it helped their life, then
I did something. I'm happy for my mom. I'm happy for the person
my mom raised. I love my mom for making me who she made me. I
love my mom for making me. I love you, ma.
SAS: Give the man a round of applause! The man said he loves his
mama! (applause) These people sitting there, acting like
everybody comes up here and talks about they love their mama.
Everybody don't do that.
But there was an uncomfortable experience. I bring this up
because I remember Allen Iverson comes into the league. You
rookie of the year. I mean, again, you averaged over 27 points
in your career, 4-time league scoring champion, I remember that
now...
AI: And one thing, man. I lead the league in steals every year,
and I can't even get an honorable mention for all-defense.
And my man Larry. (Hey, proud of you, bro)
[I should be on all-defense too, Larry]
SAS: Larry Hughes?
AI: Yeah, Larry Hughes. Larry led the league in steals this year.
All Larry knew he got from me. All that he learned I taught him.
And he led the league in steals and he first team all defense!
(laughes)
SAS: But, but, but, I can explain that, for you.
AI: I want both of them, Steve.
SAS: But you gotta understand, he's not dropping 58 points. He
didn't drop 54 points against the Toronto Raptors.
AI: So acknowledge my defense, then.
SAS: Acknowledge--I acknowledge it. Do you want me to acknowledge it?
AI: Coach Brown is the only person that think I don't play defense.
SAS: He's the only person?
AI: Yeah, well, Nah, he's not the only person. (laughs)
SAS: (laughs) Thank you very much. I was gonna say. But I was
saying that to say you accomplished so much throughout your
career at Philadelphia. 2001 you're league MVP, OK? You go to
the NBA Finals. You took the Sixers back to the NBA Finals for
the first time since 1983! You take all of those things into
account, and all the sudden, you get into an incident with
your wife. It gets blown up--it's a domestic situation. She
categorically denied all the accusations that were thrown out
there about what transpired between you and your wife. That's
why I'm not gonna disrespect you by getting into it.
AI: You can get into it.
SAS: Well, tell us what happened and what was misconstrued then.
[AI, the victimizer?]
AI: Well, I got into an argument with my wife. I've been with
my wife since what? 15,16. That was probably the 1 million and
5 time that we fought with each other. You know, argument,
cussing each other, all kinds of stuff that ain't none of y'all's
business, but you know what it is (aud. laughs) if you're in a
relationship with somebody. Man, they even say I threw my wife
out naked.
SAS: They did.
AI: I don't want nobody to see my wife naked, period! So what'd
make you think I'd send her house to house for everybody to see
her naked. Like "Hey yo, there goes AI's wife, she all naked."
(aud. laughs) Come on, man. Am I a man for that? Why would I
expect somebody look at me as a man if I did that to my wife.
SAS: But there was another side to it. There was a, quote,
"charges of terrorist act" because you went over to a cousin's
to look for your wife.
AI: I went to look for my wife like you go looking for your wife
or your girl. I went to my Cousin's house, somebody's house I
pay rent in! I can't go over there? (aud. laughs) So I broke
into a house that I pay rent in. I broke into a house with a gun
on two guys that...I just want to be real with it. I mean, the
guys are like other guys, like, you know... So, me coming in
with a gun on these two guys, like, I mean, all of this was
crazy. So I got hostages in my house. They come looking for a
gun five days later, like the gun's still going to be in the
house if i had one. They got helicopters flying over my house
all day. They got media people in front of my house with lounge
chairs, and cooking out, with cameras. Like, they put a picture
of my dog in the paper coz they couldn't get a picture of us.
I went outside to shoot jumpers with my son. And they said I
had a party. I can't even go outside and shoot jumpers with my
son. I'm having a party? It got so bad. All this stuff happened
in Philadelphia, and I still wanna be in Philadelphia.
SAS: Well that's my question to you because let me tell you
something right now. I saw that--you know, I've been covering
you over the years. We've grown up together. We were both
rookies. I was a rookie on the NBA Beat when I started
covering you--I was even scared to come near you coz I saw the
look on your face. I saw the look on your face when I saw those
helicopters hovering over your house...
AI: Domestic violence? Domestic violence? C'mon, man. I ain't
that dude. I have kids, man. People--domestic violence--c'mon.
I got into an argument with my wife and it got way outta hand.
But c'mon man, are you serious? I love her, man. That's all I
got. Who you think take care of me, like a little ass baby?
For real, I don't like it when she leaves the house. She wants
to do other things and stuff. Ok, go to school, but go to
school and don't lie or something. I just need you around me all
the time. I need her. I can't live without her. I'd die without
her. It's just crazy, but it's Allen Iverson. He would never
change who he is. He's with the same 5 dudes--and one in heaven--
from Newport News, Virginia.
SAS: Then why do you want to stay in Philadelphia?
[Why staying in Philly?]
AI: Because the people I love in Philadelphia, the people who
love me in Philadelphia. I am not taking myself away from the
people who love me because of some -bleep- people do. I am not
gonna do that. I have fans in Philadelphia. I am never like
when I see another player go put on another jersey. So what about
the kids that fell in love with this dude? Ten years they fell
in love with me. All kids know it's AI. See, little white dudes,
with corn rows. (aud. laughs) See police officers with corn rows.
That's supposed to be the look for the suspect. Police officers,
doctors, lawyers, anybody with corn rows. I didn't start it, coz
I know I got it from somebody. But all I'm saying is-I made it
alright. It's alright to wear corn rows. Yeah, you're right. My
son got corn rows. Is he a thug? He know nothin' about thugging.
He know nothing about death, steve. It's real. Some people got
scared of who you are. When you got the effect on a whole lotta
people, a whole generation, then all they wanna do is dig up
some dirt on you.
SAS: Stephen A Smith on Quite Frankly. we're gonna get back on
talking about basketball.
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