Key Takeaways
- Allen Iverson believes the NBA’s 2005 dress code was a direct response to his influence on player fashion.
- He discusses being stereotyped and says he has no regrets about expressing his identity through style in a new interview on “The Breakfast Club.”
- His memoir, “Misunderstood,” and docuseries, “Allen Iv3rson,” explore his life, legacy and public perception.
The mark Allen Iverson left on professional basketball exceeds his legendary crossover and MVP accolades. It is the cultural impact that his unapologetic swag had on the game that continues to command respect three decades after he was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers.
Iverson’s signature look — from braids and tattoos to flashy jewelry and oversized fits — shook up the NBA’s image so much that his style was a driving force behind the 2005 dress code, which banned players from wearing streetwear at official events.
On Friday (Oct. 10), he spoke about that time in his career with “The Breakfast Club.” The all-star explained, “It was alright when I was doing it, but then everybody else said, ‘Okay. He can do that? We can do this?’ … You know, you see Kobe [Bryant] come in there with diamond chains on and the baggy clothes … Then the league was like, hold on, we gotta do something about that.”
Iverson further stated, “It wasn't anything malicious," and that he learned a lot by being the league's poster child for how not to dress. "It proved to me at a young age about stereotyping people," he said. The three-time MVP also confessed that being mischaracterized as a thug because of his appearance was a hurtful stretch.
Yet, he has no regrets over the hardships he endured. “I wouldn’t be who I am now, you know what I mean? If I died and came back… I’d rather be me all over again," the 2016 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee said. "I had to take this a** whooping with the dress code. So now, look at everybody. Everybody gives me my flowers for that… You got all these personalities; why would everybody dress the same?”
Allen Iverson’s memoir and docuseries revisit his NBA journey and controversy
Iverson takes command of his life story in his memoir, “Misunderstood,” which was released on Tuesday (Oct. 7). The book takes readers through the basketball phenom’s childhood tales, his ascent to NBA superstardom, the 2002 legal case that nearly derailed his career, and beyond.
Fans can dive deeper into his world in the Amazon docuseries “Allen Iv3rson.” The story unfolds across three episodes, premiering on Oct. 23 on Prime Video.