Allen Iverson Covers SLAM

Today is Allen Iverson’s 36th birthday. And what better way to celebrate than on SLAM‘s 150th issue. Once again, A.I. is shown with the afro and a vintage Philadelphia 76 Sixers uniform. Below is an excerpt, but the entire feature is available to peruse here. On newsstands now.

SLAM: Even if it impacted you negatively, you never conformed.
AI: And a lot of that’s a bittersweet feeling. A lot of those things make me feel good, but I think I took a beating for them. I’m not bitter about it, ’cause I think I helped people feel like they could be themselves. I took that beating, and now you see guys being whoever they want to be. Besides Dennis Rodman, you didn’t see nobody with tattoos and all that stuff. Now you see kids having a million tattoos and able to be themselves.

I had my cornrows; now you see police officers with cornrows. That used to be the look of the suspect [laughs]. Now you see everybody with them: boxers, football players, you know what I mean? So that part of it makes me feel good because I know I had to take a beating for other guys to be accepted the way they are.

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  1. Ivan says:

    Respect to a legend…

  2. Clos1881 says:

    Now that he has made it acceptable to have cornrows he needs to cut them shits off lol just joking I had to do it.

  3. Thank Me Hater says:

    def had an impact on the game and was exciting to watch

  4. POWER says:

    ALLEN IVERSON FUTURE HALL OF FAMER

  5. E@rl Th@ Pe@rl says:

    AI was the 1st to rock those compression sleeves we see everybody with nowadays.

  6. blaqscorpio says:

    Still sexy as all hell!

  7. Definitely one of the top. I would even venture to say that streetball and And 1 street teams got mainstream press because of his cross over and “urban” look/attitude. He definitely started many trends. I remember looking at his cornrows every game and talking about them with my family. So glad he made such an impact on the Sixers (I’m sure you all remember him crossing over Jordan at the beginning of his career). Too bad the league couldn’t handle him and he couldn’t handle stardom.

  8. still best rite now!! says:

    Could of have been a Top Ten Great..smh imma diehard Iverson fan but, too damn selfish tho for his own good.

  9. ZoomZoomDad-Otis says:

    I remember watching A.I. during his college days at G’Town dude was sick. A.I. had some bad habits this is the reason why he isnt in the NBA anymore.

  10. JoeP says:

    My favorite athlete all time. Say what you want about him as a teammate (practice?), but no one played with more heart night in and night out. Also, as the excerpt alludes to, his cultural impact was immense. Future Hall of Famer, for sure.

  11. Chris says:

    That photo is from his 99 cover shoot. Love SLAM but it seems everytime they have a milestone issue they repeat the same features with the same players. I aint complaining though…

  12. ZoomZoomDad-Otis says:

    He didnt like to lift weights and had bad eating habits and drink like a fish.

  13. COLD BLOOD says:

    WHO?

    YOU CAN HATE ME NOW!

  14. @COLD BLOOD- this is sarcasm right? or you’re showing your age and lack of knowledge.

  15. Rap's Radar says:

    Looks like an old pic from the tats. But still a dope cover. This man should def be in the HOF.

  16. puerto-black says:

    My nigga

  17. Real_G says:

    “My” Favorite Player OF All-Time

    Everything Rose and Dem Doin Ivo Been Did That

    And Was Much Smaller

  18. Velle says:

    Favorite 1/2 guard of all time! His impact was crazy! nothing like this will ever grace the game again! I just wish he coulda put his pride aside and won a ring, Even though his HOF vote is solidified I think he should take a major pay cut, and go to the HEAT next yr for a back to back ring… But all around was one of THE BEST SCORERS HANDS DOWN! PS do anybody remember Jason Williams aka White chocolate????

  19. b.m%re says:

    A REAL G.O.A.T….REAL SHIT …..VA ….

  20. Word says:

    @Cold Blood

    Your either white and don’t watch Bball or your young and never seen him play. Top 5 scorers ever. Electrifying dude. Ashame how his career has turned out tho. And no ring to show for it either

  21. sway-z says:

    nobody, NOBODY since MJ had a bigger impact on the culture of professional basketball than A.I. Jordan came in with the gold chain and longer shorts (“relatively” longer compared to the shit Magic was wearing) but Allen brought that hood, streetball shit & fashion to the league, and he definitely paid a price for it. He was first on the tats, the cornrows, the sleeves, the extreme baggy shit, all that!

    Speaking of Jordan, don’t forget Iverson crossing that nigga out of his J’s LOL, he had the love of the hood forever after that….

  22. phillybred says:

    He had my city on smash, its a t.g.i.f’s he would go to on the weekends an he brought out all the groupies.. till this day its like goin to a club, but…he was horrible person i fucks wit a.i nigga couldnt seperate the streets from the game you could catch dude in the gutterest of clubs chillin like a regular dude but his attitude cause him alot.. i.e bein shot @, chasin niggas around wit guns i can go on but respect you always got a home in philly.. best player to stop thru, fuck charles barkley

  23. Gusto says:

    Future HOF no doubt. A.I had more impact on the NBA and basketball all around the world than we can possibly imagine.

    One of my personal top 5 players of All Time.

    Respect due to the lil’ man with the big heart and ill crossover.

    G

  24. BSPN says:

    U damn Right A.I Need to be in the NBA!! Who would of thought that Shaq or Grant hill would’ve lasted longer than A.I!! b.s What’s up wit the blac ballin in Sports?!! Imagine A.I on any of the Teams eliminated from the Playoffs!! (any Team) Shit would be a Lil different!! People let Steve Nash run in Circles 82 games but A.I can’t play in the League!! C’mon man.. A.I even Marbury, & Steve Francis, especially when U have Guards like Anthony carter, Derek Fisher, Luke ridnour, Jameer Nelson, Jason Kidd… (No Hate) A.I. is supporsed to be in the League!! Fuc that!! The Media has more Control over players Careers than they do! People like Skip bAyless actin as if they have the right on who plays Where & When!!

    What Up A.I.!!!

  25. therealest says:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwFxHiuS6-M WATCH THAT LOL ALLEN IVERSON – BEST LIL MAN EVER

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