Dawn Staley and Allen Iverson (Image credit: IMAGN)
South Carolina coach Dawn Staley invited former NBA star Allen Iverson to her show “NETLIFE with Dawn Staley” in 2022. In the final episode of the season, the two discussed the impact of Iverson’s career on the basketball community and beyond.
While introducing Iverson to the show, Staley shared an interesting anecdote about the 11-time NBA-Star.
“I did actually hear a lot about you, and I actually heard more about you as a football player than as a basketball player,” Dawn, who was at the end of her college career when Iverson was named the best high school player in Virginia, said. “I would watch the news and see them showing highlights of you just blazing on the field and doing what you’re doing.”
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“I just marveled — they told me you were short. I know they had you down to six-one. Come on there, give it to us how tall are you?” she asked Allen.
“I’m six feet legit,” he responded.
(from 28:20 mark onwards)
Allen Iverson was a dual-sport athlete in high school, excelling at both football and basketball. In college, he played for the Georgetown Hoyas, leading them to the NCAA tournament in 1996. He was then selected first overall in the NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers and went on to have a Hall of Fame career.
Dawn Staley talked about Allen Iverson as role model for young Philadelphians
Dawn Staley, a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania native herself, acknowledged Iverson’s impact on the local community. During the conversation, the three-time national champion coach highlighted how Iverson’s success served as an inspiration for young kids in the area.
“When I think of you and I think about what you meant to Philadelphia, and I know you know the love that we all show you every time that you come to a game,” Dawn Staley said (via NETLIFE). “You were it for the young kids growing up in Philly … when you came, we identified with you.”
“I think your power as a Philadelphia 76er helped a lot of young kids, like me, who grew up in the projects. You helped us through — you gave us somebody to say, ‘If he can do it, I can do it too.'”
Iverson played for the Sixers for a decade from 1996 to 2006, leading them to the 2001 NBA Finals. He later returned to Philadelphia for a short stint in 2009 and left in February 2010, citing personal reasons. His influence on fashion and culture, as well as his competitive fire, made him an icon in Philadelphia.
