76 Allen Iverson Quotes on His Controversial Career and Personal Life

Allen Iverson remains one of the most acclaimed NBA basketball players, but it was not an easy road for him. Read the following 76 quotes to learn more about his journey from the bottom and the controversy he faced.

Growing up underprivileged, Allen Iverson was abandoned by his father. The young Iverson had to trudge daily through sewerage that would reach up to his knees — just one example of his difficult childhood.

From a young age, Iverson began focusing on basketball, which was eventually his ticket out of poverty. However, the media and public tended not to focus on his journey from rags to riches but the controversy surrounding him. This controversy included allegations of assault, time spent in jail, and wearing what was considered "street-style" clothing on the court — attire that many deemed inappropriate.

Take a deeper look at this former basketball player's life on and off the court, the media buzz around him, and much more by reading the following 76 quotes.

Allen Iverson's quote: "You hit roadblocks in life, but I'm living proof that you can overcome those roadblocks and become what you want to become." | Image: AmoDays

Allen Iverson Quotes on Motivation and Success

"I couldn't have accomplished the things in my career if I didn't practice, and the worst part about that whole thing is when a kid comes up to me and says, 'Allen, I don't like practice, either,' I've got to straighten that kid right then." — Allen Iverson

"I've accomplished so many things in basketball. I financially secured my kids' life and their future. I'm just happy. I'm just blessed. So anything that I'm not awarded doesn't matter because I've been rewarded enough in this lifetime." ― Allen Iverson

"I wasn't a point guard. I was a killer.” — Allen Iverson

"Being an All-Star is everything." ― Allen Iverson

Allen Iverson's quote: "I failed; got back up. I failed; got back up." | Image: AmoDays

"Man, people have been waiting for me to fall off my whole career. From the first time I stepped on the court." — Allen Iverson

"If that many people recognize how hard I go every night and what I put into my game to make myself and my team better, it means a lot to me. I'm fortunate; I'm blessed to be in the situation that I'm in right now." ― Allen Iverson

"My mom always told me that I could be anything I wanted to be. And I truly, actually believed it. And I fought." — Allen Iverson

"I wanna thank Biggie Smalls, Redman, Jadakiss, Tupac, and Michael Jackson for being my theme music throughout my career." ― Allen Iverson

"This is the thing you dream about when you're a kid, even before getting into the league." ― Allen Iverson

Allen Iverson's quote: "Just understand that there's going to be some ups, there's going to be some downs." | Image: AmoDays

"I owe all of this to the guys I've played with and all the coaches that have helped me get to where I'm at right now. I'm honored to be here." ― Allen Iverson

"I went from the projects to a real house. It was a big difference." ― Allen Iverson

"Either you give in or you fight. That's all I know, being where I'm from. You fight for what you want. You go after what you want. The only thing I could do was give up or keep fighting for what I wanted in life." — Allen Iverson

"You hit roadblocks in life, but I'm living proof that you can overcome those roadblocks and become what you want to become." — Allen Iverson

"I failed; got back up. I failed; got back up." ― Allen Iverson

Allen Iverson's quote: "I wasn't a point guard. I was a killer.” | Image: AmoDays

"God gave me all this; why waste the talent that he gave me? Why not go full throttle with it all and try to become in the class with the greatest players that ever played the game? That's just a great feeling." ― Allen Iverson

"That's where I'll get the love in my heart: from the fact that little young guys can look at the obstacles that I had to go through to become a Hall of Famer and know it's not so bad when it comes to them trying to accomplish the same goal." ― Allen Iverson

"When you lose, there is a whole bunch of room for negativity, and I don't feed into this stuff, and I do not do any talking. I don't run my mouth." ― Allen Iverson

"My dream was bigger than anything else. My fight and me wanting to fulfill what I wanted to be in life. That was enough to keep me strong enough to endure anything." — Allen Iverson

"Just understand that there's going to be some ups, there's going to be some downs." — Allen Iverson

Quotes of Allen Iverson’s Perspectives and Advice

Allen Iverson's quote: “Just because you put a guy in a tuxedo doesn't make him a good guy." | Image: AmoDays

"When you are not practicing, someone else is getting better." ― Allen Iverson

"You can hide from the devil, but he'll always find you." ― Allen Iverson

"Don't nobody wanna talk about or hear about somebody donating money to a charity. You wanna hear about what Bin Laden is doing and what you think is on his mind." ― Allen Iverson

"If you're from Virginia, then you know some white people from Poquoson don't like black people." ― Allen Iverson

"If I'm not getting older and more mature at 31, then something's wrong." ― Allen Iverson

Allen Iverson's quote: "When you are not practicing, someone else is getting better." | Image: AmoDays

"Just because you put a guy in a tuxedo doesn't make him a good guy." ― Allen Iverson

"Everybody is their own person." ― Allen Iverson

Allen Iverson Quotes on Basketball

"I don't want to just go to the playoffs; I don't want to go to the playoffs and win the first round, second round, and not win the whole thing because it's bittersweet." — Allen Iverson

"I wish there was a season where I was playing and didn't have no aches, no pains, no bruises, no nothing." ― Allen Iverson

"I gave everything I had to basketball. The passion is still there, but the desire to play is not. It was a great ride." — Allen Iverson

Allen Iverson's quote: "I don't watch college basketball." | Image: AmoDays

"I was recruited by every school in the country for football and basketball. And an incident happened in high school, and all that was taken away. No other teams, no other schools were recruiting me anymore." ― Allen Iverson

"It was a blessing just to play one NBA basketball game." — Allen Iverson

"I knew I was gonna be the number one pick, but I didn't know." ― Allen Iverson

"I'm the biggest Westbrook fan, I think, there is. You know what I mean? Because he reminds me so much of myself as far as his heart and laying it on the line night in and night out. Just a guy that's going to bring it every single night." ― Allen Iverson

Allen Iverson's quote: "I felt like I was better at football than I am in basketball." | Image: AmoDays

"Everybody talks about that one when they first meet me. 'Man, I still remember the play you shook Jordan.'" — Allen Iverson

"Everybody gonna always remember it because it was Jordan." — Allen Iverson

"Personally, I just want to win a championship." — Allen Iverson

"I may not know everything about physical talent or anything like that, but I have a sharp mind when it comes to that look: being able to look into somebody's eyes to tell if they are going to be in the foxhole with you tonight, or if they are not." — Allen Iverson

"I felt like I was better at football than I am in basketball." — Allen Iverson

Allen Iverson's quote: "I gave everything I had to basketball. The passion is still there, but the desire to play is not. It was a great ride." | Image: AmoDays

"I've got to just play basketball." ― Allen Iverson

"When you win, everything is everything. But when you lose, it's all about Allen Iverson and Larry Brown. When we win, I know that I get the praise and Larry Brown gets the praise, but when we lose, it's on me and Larry Brown. That's something that I have to learn to accept and deal with." — Allen Iverson

"I don't watch college basketball." — Allen Iverson

"At some point, it comes to an end regardless; however it comes, whether it is retirement or injury; at some point, it comes to an end." ― Allen Iverson

Allen Iverson Quotes about Loved Ones and Fans

Allen Iverson's quote: "I surround myself with people who make me laugh." | Image: AmoDays

"I can't imagine a parent not wanting to be in their kid's life. I will just never understand it. To me, it's priceless." — Allen Iverson

"I'm a father; I'm a friend. I think I've got the biggest heart in the world. A lot of times, that's not a good thing. It's a gift and a curse." ― Allen Iverson

"He's helped me do so much in my career, helped me be the player that I am. If there's no Larry Brown, then there's no MVP, Allen Iverson." ― Allen Iverson

"I wanted my fans and my family and my friends to be proud of me." ― Allen Iverson

"I surround myself with people who make me laugh." — Allen Iverson

Allen Iverson Quotes about His Personal Life and Journey

Allen Iverson's quote: "I can't imagine a parent not wanting to be in their kid's life. I will just never understand it. To me, it's priceless." | Image: AmoDays

"Obviously, if I could go back and change anything, I would be a perfect man. And I know there's no perfect man." —Allen Iverson

"I wasn't afraid to be who I am. I didn't think anything was wrong with it." — Allen Iverson

"I can't take it back. I can't take anything back. So I don't regret it." ― Allen Iverson

"At times, I might have been too young; I might have been too naive at times and didn't understand who I really was to a whole culture." ― Allen Iverson

"I just feel this is my planet." ― Allen Iverson

Allen Iverson's quote: "I had a lot of growing up to do. A lot of times, I learned the hard way." | Image: AmoDays

"It was a great experience for me ― the ups and downs ― because I became a man in Philadelphia." ― Allen Iverson

"I made a lot of mistakes. And obviously, it cost me." ― Allen Iverson

"Detroit was a bad situation for me." — Allen Iverson

"I had a lot of growing up to do. A lot of times, I learned the hard way." — Allen Iverson

Allen Iverson Quotes on Handling the Press and Opinions about Him

"Being in a fishbowl, everybody looking at every move you make, talking about everything you do ― it's just a hard life to live." — Allen Iverson

Allen Iverson's quote: "I had to learn that some people are just not going to like you. I had to have thick skin..." | Image: AmoDays

"...why do you care about somebody talking negative about you if they don't know you?" — Allen Iverson

"You gotta do what you gotta do. And I had to figure that out, and I used to ― I couldn't stand the media, but I realized they have a job. They gotta do what they have to do." — Allen Iverson

"I got a lot of love for NBC, Tom Brokaw. He did a lot for me, and I appreciate him, and I owe a lot to him for that." ― Allen Iverson

"Sometimes it used to hurt so bad when people used to say stuff about me. It still does. But I'm at a level now that I'm like, 'I ain't surprised that they said this or that about me.'" ― Allen Iverson

"If we lose games, and I don't score a lot, they gonna say I'm not scoring enough." ― Allen Iverson

Allen Iverson's quote: "There's nothing that sells good about Allen Iverson if it's something positive about Allen Iverson." | Image: AmoDays

"I didn't take constructive criticism the way I should have. When I finally caught up to that, that's when I went to being the MVP." ― Allen Iverson

"People and what they say don't bother me like they used to. When I was younger, I really couldn't take it because I couldn't understand where the criticism was coming from." ― Allen Iverson

"It probably made people sick to their stomachs watching my whole career, watching the things that I've done in my career." ― Allen Iverson

"I had to learn that some people are just not going to like you. I had to have thick skin..." — Allen Iverson

"There's nothing that sells good about Allen Iverson if it's something positive about Allen Iverson." — Allen Iverson

Allen Iverson's quote: "Man, people have been waiting for me to fall off my whole career. From the first time I stepped on the court." | Image: AmoDays

Allen Iverson Quotes on Many Fascinating Topics

"I used to say my biggest accomplishment was just getting drafted, whether it was the first pick or the 100th or whatever." ― Allen Iverson

"LeBron ain't got none of my game, but his heart is all mine." ― Allen Iverson

"Larry Brown molded me into an MVP and a Hall of Fame player." ― Allen Iverson

"Tattoos, cornrows, headbands, hip-hop. I never meant to start any trends. I got my butt kicked, but if that meant that the guys who came after me could be themselves, then it was worth it." — Allen Iverson

"You look at guys on the court, man. You got this guy with this brand of shoe, and this guy with this brand – they're just wearing the shoe. But it's a whole different feeling when you got a shoe on, and it's yours." ― Allen Iverson

Allen Iverson's quote: "Guys is supposed to be able to be original and dress like how they want to dress. The NBA can't dress no grown man." | Image: AmoDays

"All I ever wanted to do was wear Jordans. I think there was only one or two pair I never had." — Allen Iverson

"You used to think the suspect was the guy with the cornrows; now you see the police officers with the cornrows." — Allen Iverson

"My friend... used to tease me about a tattoo I had right here, but it was so big, and what he was teasing me about — he said it looked like a flying monkey. It's supposed to have been a grim reaper holding a ball. But it did look like a monkey." ― Allen Iverson

"Coach's voice will never leave my head as long as I live." ― Allen Iverson

Allen Iverson's quote: "Personally, I just want to win a championship." | Image: AmoDays

People tend to either love or hate Iverson, but whatever you may feel, there is no denying that he made a name for himself on the court.

More than once, he found himself playing on the All-NBA First Team and the NBA All-Star, also claiming the title of All-Star MVP. In 2001, he was named the NBA MVP, taking his team to the finals that year.

Dig deeper into the psyche of another professional sportsman. Read these 63 Razor Ramon quotes on his life in and out of the wrestling ring.