"I’d be lying if I acted like I had a plan" - Allen Iverson admits not being prepared for life after basketball started rumors of his financial struggles
Allen Iverson admits he entered retirement without a plan, sparking years of rumors, but has since rebuilt his post-NBA life through business partnerships.
Years after stepping away from the game that made him a global icon,
Allen Iverson addressed the persistent rumors that followed him through his post-NBA years.
For over a decade, talk swirled about financial instability and lavish spending, stories often fueled by his high-profile lifestyle and sudden fade from the spotlight.
Iverson has now denied the notion that he was ever truly struggling, but he admits there was truth in the idea that he entered retirement without a clear vision for what came next.
Life after retirement
As Iverson himself explained, the thought of life after basketball was never part of his reality during his playing days, which is probably why the
rumors came about in the first place.
“I never had a blueprint. I’d be lying if I acted like I had a plan and thought it all out or anything like that,” Iverson
said.
“Honestly, that’s where a lot of my downfalls, if you want to call it that, came from… because I didn’t have a plan. I was 21 years old. I was on the fly. I never had money before in my life. My success was on a small scale. My popularity was on a small scale… only in Virginia, you know what I mean?”
The Hall of Famer, an 11-time NBA All-Star and the 2001 league MVP, had never hidden the fact that his journey from Hampton, Va., to NBA superstardom was meteoric.
Drafted first overall by the
Philadelphia 76ers in 1996, Iverson became the face of the franchise and one of the most electrifying guards the game had ever seen. His early career was a whirlwind of points, headlines, and cultural influence, with his fearless style of play redefining the modern guard position.
The years leading up to his retirement were marked by a series of transitions hinting at the uncertainty. After over a decade as the face of the Sixers, Iverson was traded to the Denver Nuggets in 2006. Subsequent stints with the Detroit Pistons, a brief return to the Sixers, and a short-lived run with the Memphis Grizzlies reflected a career entering its twilight.
In 2010, he made an unconventional move overseas, joining Turkish club Besiktas, but recurring injuries and the wear of a physically taxing playing style signaled that his NBA journey was over. By 2013, he made his retirement official, but without the stability or roadmap many athletes rely on once the cheering stops.
Iverson’s path
Iverson said he had to learn the hard way and go through trials and tribulations because he never really had the stability and the people behind him who could teach him how to navigate life and figure everything out. When the spotlight dimmed, he faced a reality few could have prepared him for.
“I had to do it all by myself and learn the hard way,” Iverson said.
“But at the same time, I think it was a blessing for me because it taught me so many things and helped to develop me into the person that I am today.”
Without the protective infrastructure some players have around them, Iverson navigated his post-retirement years primarily on his own. In 2021, he entered into a business partnership with former NBA forward Al Harrington, launching “The Iverson Collection,” a line of cannabis products under Harrington’s Viola Brands.
The momentum continued in 2023, when Reebok, long intertwined with Iverson’s image through his signature Answer and Question sneaker lines, named him Vice President of Basketball. With Shaquille O’Neal stepping in as President of Basketball, Iverson’s return to the company marked a full-circle moment, positioning him once again as a visible figure in the sport he helped shape.
While he may not have had a plan when his playing days ended, Iverson has built a post-basketball chapter on lessons learned through resilience and a willingness to evolve in public view.