Allen Iverson’s impact on the NBA is unmatched. The Philadelphia 76ers legend made sure to leave a mark on the game, both on and off the court. He became one of the most influential players in history thanks to his flashy style of play, as well as his attitude and fashion off the hardwoods.
As Titan Frey recently wrote, Iverson was the best representative of the Hip Hop culture in the NBA in the late 90s and 2000s. Despite having a strained relationship with former NBA commissioner David Stern, The Answer pushed the league to new limits until the late commissioner made big changes to turn the league’s image into something closer to what he envisioned.
Still, that didn’t make a big difference for fans. They loved to see Iverson play and some even imitated him both on the court and the stands. Even nowadays, you can see Iverson’s influence on players and fans.
Instagram page SWAY recently compared that one little kid that dressed as AI during a game to one Utah Jazz fan that imitated Jordan Clarkson’s style. They captioned the post with ‘The Iverson Effect,’ which is the perfect description of the pictures.
AI has been retired for over 10 years and he still has that clout around the association. He’s one of the most influential players to ever set foot on an NBA court, and even the new generations are finding out how impactful he was during his career.
Unfortunately, his career didn’t finish the best way, but Iverson made sure to enchant fans around the world during his best days. We’ve seen influential players in the past decade, but Iverson belongs to the top 5 in that regard. One of the most talented players of all time, and a person who inspired others. These kids, as well as Clarkson, are a big sample of that.
**Credit for idea: SWAY**
