Allen Iverson Quotes

If I don’t believe it, then they don’t need me on the court. I’ve just got to believe that in my heart.

Any one of my shoes that I had, you knew that, night in, night out, I gave my teammates and my fans everything that I had.

You hit road blocks in life, but I’m living proof that you can overcome those road blocks and become what you want to become.

Man, I’m 31 years old and a husband with four kids; I hope I’m no thug. I hear all those negative things and don’t hear anything positive. I think that’s all those people feel… that way that’s all they hear about when you hear Allen Iverson did something negative or something.

I just feel this is my planet.

If we lose games, and I don’t score a lot, they gonna say I’m not scoring enough.

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.

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.

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.’

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.

I believe that whatever we have, regardless of a trade being done or not, I feel we have a shot. I’ve just got to believe that we’re going to be all right. I’ve got to just play basketball.

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.

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.

This is the thing you dream about when you’re a kid, even before getting into the league.

I dressed like the guys who I grew up with. I looked like the guys I grew up with.

I just feel this is my planet.

I didn’t do this by myself, man. It was so many people, so many fans that came in there and cheered for me, night in and night out.

Me and my family are straight. I am blessed. I am alive, man, and I am healthy, and that is the only thing that matters. Me and my family, everybody else, it really doesn’t matter because why do you care about somebody talking negative about you if they don’t know you?

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.

This is like a tribute to them, the people who helped me to get here. The thing that makes me feel good about the whole thing is, the fans voted me here.

If I could take back all the mistakes that I made throughout my career, I would have had a perfect career. I would have missed no shots. I would have made no turnovers. I would have went right instead of going left when I was supposed to, every game.

I didn’t do this by myself, man. It was so many people, so many fans that came in there and cheered for me, night in and night out.

Larry Brown molded me into an MVP and a Hall of Fame player.

I gotta win games. Because if we lose games, and I score a lot, they going to say I’m scorin’ too much.

I wish the media and people that work in media would realize sometimes – and I know it doesn’t pay your bills – but sometimes just sit back and think, like, ‘Man, what if this was my child? And somebody was doing this to them? And they had to go through it? If somebody bashed them like this?’

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.

I can’t take it back. I can’t take anything back. So I don’t regret it.

My actions, right or wrong, there were people who supported me through this long, hard journey.

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.

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.

Personally I just want to win a championship.

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.

I went from the projects to a real house. It was a big difference.

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.

I made a lot of mistakes. And obviously, it cost me.

You can hide from the devil, but he’ll always find you.

I wish there was a season where I was playing and didn’t have no aches, no pains, no bruises, no nothing.

A negative Allen Iverson story is the greatest Allen Iverson story, for some reason.

This is like a tribute to them, the people who helped me to get here. The thing that makes me feel good about the whole thing is, the fans voted me here.

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

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

I gotta win games. Because if we lose games, and I score a lot, they going to say I’m scorin’ too much.

If you’re from Virginia, then you know some white people from Poquoson don’t like black people.

I don’t watch college basketball.

LeBron ain’t got none of my game, but his heart is all mine.

I am sick of defending myself, and I am not going to keep on doing it.

When you are not practicing, someone else is getting better.

You hit road blocks in life, but I’m living proof that you can overcome those road blocks and become what you want to become.

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.

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.

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.

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.

You think I can be the MVP without practicing?

When you are not practicing, someone else is getting better.

Everybody is their own person.

Obviously, if I could go back and change anything, I would be a perfect man. And I know there’s no perfect man.

There’s nothing that sells good about Allen Iverson if it’s something positive about Allen Iverson.

It was just the greatest feeling to see a kid with your shoes on.

I don’t really care too much about what people who don’t care about me say about me, but a lot of times, you know, I get tired of defending myself.

Everybody talks about that one when they first meet me. ‘Man, I still remember the play you shook Jordan.’ Everybody gonna always remember it because it was Jordan.

I had to learn that some people are just not going to like you. I had to have thick skin when I would see what people would say or write about me.

I love my fans in Philadelphia, but this is the hardest place in the world to play in. And I think it’s the hardest place to play in to be a superstar. Just to be the No. 1 guy. All eyes on you – because everybody wants you to be perfect, but not themselves.

Detroit was a bad situation for me.

My whole thing was being wanted and being accepted by a ball club. That was the most important thing to me.

I’m a Hall of Famer, and I can go outside today and go to a restaurant or wherever, and somebody will come up to me and say, ‘Practice? We talkin’ ’bout practice?’ Man, I am a Hall of Famer, and that’s all you can think about?

I had to learn that some people are just not going to like you. I had to have thick skin when I would see what people would say or write about me.

This is the thing you dream about when you’re a kid, even before getting into the league.

I can’t take it back. I can’t take anything back. So I don’t regret it.

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.

Just understand that there’s going to be some ups, there’s going to be some downs.

If I’m not getting older and more mature at 31, then something’s wrong.

I make all that money and it ain’t enough. I gotta make more to help all the people around me.

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.

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

Just because you put a guy in a tuxedo doesn’t make him a good guy.

If I don’t believe it, then they don’t need me on the court. I’ve just got to believe that in my heart.

Being in a fishbowl, everybody looking at every move you make, talking about everything you do – it’s just a hard life to live.

I felt like I was better at football than I am in basketball.

I’m just a regular 24/7 dad now.

I don’t really care too much about what people who don’t care about me say about me, but a lot of times, you know, I get tired of defending myself.

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

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.

I wasn’t a fan of the Sixers. My dad was a big Mo Cheeks fan, and he wanted me to be drafted by the Sixers. My thing was, if that could make my dad happy, then that would make me happy, you know what I mean?

Everybody is their own person.

Coming into the league, if I would’ve had money, then obviously I would’ve had more tattoos.

Man, people have been waiting for me to fall off my whole career. From the first time I stepped on the court. It probably made people sick to their stomachs watching my whole career, watching the things that I’ve done in my career.

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.

What makes me feel good is all of the people that rooted for A.I. get a chance to say, ‘He did what you never thought he could do. The critics. He did what you never thought he could accomplish.’ This is a moment that me and my fans and my family and friends can share together because we always believed in the dream.

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

Just because you put a guy in a tuxedo doesn’t make him a good guy.

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.

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.

I’m just overwhelmed with the fact that I had a signature shoe. It’s actually ‘my shoe.’

Being an All-Star is everything.

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.