NBA stars often find it hard to make time for their family. Taahirah O’Neal’s outgrown distaste for sports life is one example to point out as a consequence. Here, Allen Iverson stands out with a vocal commitment to be there for his family, especially for his 5 children Tiaura, Allen II, Isaiah, Messiah, and Dream, whom he had with ex-wife Tawanna Taylor. Now that he has taken it to social media, a dip he surpassed with family comes into the spotlight. 

The trigger here is his IG story, where the former 76ers Shooting Guard shared his daughter Messiah Iverson’s IG post. The post featured Messiah in an outfit being called out for ‘body tea’. Since she wore a T-shirt with the number 3 imprinted on it, it is compelling to see retired Jersey No.3’s responses. 

“My Baby,” the 11x NBA All-Star had this special two-word reaction reserved for his fourth daughter while playing Doe Boy’s “Special” featuring Skilla Baby & Flo Milli. This one is reminiscent of his 2016 Hall of Fame Speech where he showered his love for his ‘boobie boob’.

“I love you so much and you make me so happy,” said ‘Bubba Chuck’. Here, the 4x NBA Scoring Champion also proves to be a father who makes his daughter feel special as he did with her 2019 high school graduation. “Congrats to my daughter Messiah! Best wishes on your new journey. #Highschool”, wrote the legend on IG. While these are minor instances, there is one big sacrifice Iverson made for his special Kiddo in 2010. 

It is the time when 4-year-old Messiah fell sick for reasons not revealed by family. However, the 76ers President El Stefanski put it as a “very serious issue.” ‘The Answer’, who went clueless, chose to stay with family regardless of an All-Star Game on edge.

“In my heart, I wanted to be there, I wanted my daughter and my kids to see me be there. I wanted my wife to have the opportunity to see something like that,” said Iverson as he geared up for an NBA comeback after missing 5 games other than the All-Star. Unfortunately, he was again forced to go on an indefinite absence for which the franchise extended their support. 

This makes his latest Instagram story a celebration of the times they survived together, with an apparent Kawasaki disease. While this event brought him bashes for ditching the game, it is only just to explore the legend’s contribution to the 76ers. 

The family man’s role in the franchise

Iverson began by proving Philadelphia 76ers for his selection as a first overall pick, by achieving NBA Rookie of the Year honor. In his first season, he averaged 23.5 points and 7.5 assists. Since then, he played 697 regular season games with the Sixers for 11 seasons, scoring between 20 to 30 point averages per season while sweating across the hard floor for nearly 40 minutes on average. This is not including the 25 games he played in the 2009-10 season averaging 13.9 points in 31.9 minutes.  

No wonder he goes on to become a 4x NBA scoring champion, which makes him the only Sixers member to have the title more than twice. Moreover, the 2000-01 season, when he grabbed NBA MVP and first steals leader titles also turned out to be a good year for the 76ers with an Eastern Conference Title. 

If his impact on the very year his daughter fell sick is the concern, consider this reporting by Bob Cooney from Philadelphia Daily News on the Sixers-Trailblazers Game of Dec 28, 2009. “Brand was quick to point out how much the addition of Allen Iverson has benefited him and other inside players, noting that defenses pay so much attention to Iverson, it opens things up for other players.”

Considering such statements echoed by the likes of Lou Williams, it is hard to defy the 6ft Iverson’s role in the 76ers’ history. With the latest IG story from the legend unveiling such sacrifices he had for family and sport, it is time to see the seemingly failed personal life of Iverson in a positive light.