Allen Iverson Cries While Describing His Friendship with Shaquille O’Neal: ‘I Love Him So Much’

“He’s just a beautiful guy,” Iverson tells PEOPLE of O’Neal

NBA players Shaquille O'Neal #32 and Allen Iverson #3 attend the got milk? Rookie Challenge game during 2005 NBA All-Star Weekend at Pepsi Center on February 18, 2005 in Denver, Colorado. The Sophomores defeated the Rookies 133-106

Allen Iverson and Shaquille O’Neal on Feb. 18, 2005.Credit : 

Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty

Allen Iverson is reflecting on his friendship with Shaquille O’Neal.

Discussing his participation in Netflix’s new docuseries Power Moves, which follows O’Neal, 53, and Iverson, 49, as they set out to rebrand Reebok Basketball by signing stars like Angel Reese, the NBA legend tells PEOPLE he’s “an emotional guy” but he doesn’t often like to “go there” when it comes to showing it.

Talking about his friendship with O’Neal, however, Iverson sheds a few tears. “I love him so much. I don’t want to be up here crying and s—, you know what I mean? I just love him.”

O’Neal is a “big brother, a mentor and just everything you’re supposed to be as a man,” says his Reebok partner. “I love his family. I love how he raised his kids,” Iverson continues. “I learned from him, you know what I mean? He’s just a beautiful guy…I can’t talk about him.”

Allen Iverson Calls Shaquille O’Neal the ‘Most Honest’ and ‘Funniest’ Person to ‘Be Around’

Allen Iverson and Shaquille O’Neal play in the NBA on Dec. 16, 2009.Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty

Iverson and O’Neal were named vice president and president of Reebok’s basketball division in October 2023. For Iverson, who joined Post Malone on stage for the hit song “White Iverson” at his Philadelphia concert on May 27, helping the shoe brand excel in the basketball world was his way of giving back to the company that gave him his own shoe in 1996.

“I know what Reebok did for me,” he tells PEOPLE. “I know what Reebok did for my family. I know what Reebok did for the culture. I know how Reebok blessed me and gave me a chance. And for me to give back is only right.”

Iverson’s first shoe, the “Question” was released in 1996. One year later, Reebok released the “Answer,” in collaboration with Iverson.

Now, Iverson says that Reese, one of the WNBA’s brightest stars, is the modern-day answer to making Reebok cool again. “I love everything about her,” he says of the Chicago Sky star. “I love what she stands for. She reminds me of my little sister. She’s dope to me. She reminds me of myself hoop wise and on a personal level too.”

These days, the former NBA star, known for his intensity and toughness on the court, is in a new chapter of his life — one he’s “ecstatic” to share with fans. “I’m just happy,” Iverson says of his mindset currently before taking an emotional pause.

Allen Iverson smiles during the game between the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers during the Emirates NBA Cup game on November 12, 2024 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Allen Iverson smiles during the game between the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers during the Emirates NBA Cup game on November 12, 2024.Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty

“I’m just happy about the people in my life that helped me, and my maturation,” says Iverson. “The people that I know love me, and they show it, they really, really show it to me. I think it’s just a beautiful life.”

That current, newfound happiness is one he’s felt before through his storied career, says Iverson, but this chapter is “different” for him, with a partner by his side.

Noting that his “girl” (although leaving her name anonymous) “gave me a second chance when I did wrong,” Iverson tells PEOPLE, “I’ve been this happy, but the fact of being given a second chance? I’m just a blessed guy.”