Allen Iverson, talking about his new memoir “Misunderstood” on ESPN’s “First Take,” discussed the lowest point of his life — and it didn’t involve anything that happened on a basketball court.
“It was self-inflicted,” Iverson told host Stephen A. Smith. “But it was when Tawanna divorced me.”
Tawanna Turner and Iverson married in 2001. Iverson’s superstardom coincided with their marriage, and just like Iverson’s career, it was up and down.
The two split in 2008, and the divorce was final in 2013. That coincided with the end of Iverson’s career — he officially retired in October 2013, saying he had no desire to play anymore.
“That’s when I knew I’d hit my lowest point and it was time for deep self-reevaluation,” he said. “When I’m sitting there in that courtroom, I used to watch Sixers vs. Sixers in a scrimmage, or Georgetown vs. Georgetown. Them tears started to hit the [divorce] papers when I looked down and see ‘Iverson vs. Iverson.'”
But Turner and Iverson are back together, Iverson confirmed, after their 2013 divorce.
Asked how he got Tawanna to come back, he said, “A lot of Keith Sweat. I had to beg a lot.”
As a part of that deep reevaluation of himself and rebuilding of his marriage, Iverson, 50, said he realized that alcohol was a big problem, and he was tired of fighting it. The divorce, his career’s end, all the baggage from his youth — it was all weighing on him.
“It’s a plethora of things. Ultimately, when you evaluate your maturation and what’s important and what you mean to your family and friends and the world, I just thought about the way I was supposed to be in life. And I didn’t see how [alcohol] was helping any,” he said. “All I could think about was negative experiences.”
Iverson said he realizes that a lot of young NBA players look up to him, and how he shaped this generation of players.
“I made of lot of them comfortable in their own skin and feel that they are able to express themselves,” he said. “I love everything that’s happening with our league and the betterment of the younger players. We will never be short of superstars.
“The game is in great hands.”