MY NEXT GUEST TONIGHT IS AN N.B.A. LEGEND AND A TRUE SPORTS
ICON.
HE'S AN 11-TIME ALL-STAR, FOUR- TIME SCORING CHAMPION, N.B.A.
M.V.P., AND WAS JUST INDUCTED INTO THE BASKETBALL HALL OF
FAME.
PLEASE WELCOME ALLEN IVERSON!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ♪ ♪ ♪
>> Stephen: COME ON UP.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> Stephen: THANKS FOR WEARING THE CHAINS, TOO.
>> OH.
>> Stephen: IT ADDS A LITTLE CLASS TO THE SITUATION.
>> I TRY TO BE CLASSY.
>> Stephen: CONGRATULATIONS ON THE HALL OF FAME.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: THAT'S EXTRAORDINARY.
THAT'S EXTRAORDINARY.
HOW DID IT FEEL-- IT WAS-- IT WAS ONE OF THE-- SORT OF THE
BEST-ATTENDED, LIKE, THE LARGEST ATTENDED INDUCTION CEREMONIES
IN-- IN A DECADE.
HOW DID IT FEEL TO HAVE THAT MANY PEOPLE, WHEN SO MANY PEOPLE
BACK IN THE DAY SAID THAT YOU DIDN'T PUT THE EFFORT IN THAT
WAS NECESSARY.
THE PEOPLE TALKED ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL STYLE.
CALLED YOU A THUG.
TO BE UP THERE AND HAVE PEOPLE CHEERING YOU ON, AND SO EXCITED,
AND SO READY TO HONOR YOU?
HOW DID THAT FEEL?
>> I JUST-- IT JUST MADE ME LOVE GOD EVEN MORE THAN I DO NOW.
( APPLAUSE ) YOU KNOW, IT'S-- IT WAS SPECIAL
TO GET THAT FEELING.
I REMEMBER BEING UP ON THE PODIUM AND FEELING LIKE, YOU
KNOW, MY LEGS WERE SHAKING.
I FELT LIKE I WAS GOING TO FAINT.
AND I WAS SITTING THERE.
I REMEMBER HAVING A MOMENT SAYING, "GOD, PLEASE DON'T LET
ME FAINT."
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
>> Stephen: YOU LOOKED A LITTLE CHOCKED UP BEFORE YOU
EVEN STARTED TALKING.
>> YEAH, OBVIOUSLY, LIKE, THESE PEOPLE, ALL OF MY SUPPORTERS,
THE PEOPLE WHO STUCK WITH ME THROUGH ALL MY UPS AND DOWNS,
TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS, MY FAMILY BEING THERE, AND HAVING
TO LOOK AT THEM AND SEE HOW PROUD THEY WERE OF ME, YOU KNOW,
MY FANS, MY FRIENDS, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY THAT CONTRIBUTED AND
TO HAVING A PART OF ME ACCOMPLISHING SOMETHING SO BIG.
I WAS JUST VERY EMOTIONAL ( APPLAUSE )
( CHEERS ) >> Stephen: WELL, NOW, THAT
CROSS-OVER DRIBBLE OF YOURS THAT YOU JUST USED OVER THERE.
YOU USED THAT QUITE FAMOUSLY ON MICHAEL JORDAN BACK IN THE DAY.
I THINK WE HAVE A CLIP OF YOU HERE.
THERE YOU GO.
>> THE CROWD IS INTO IT.
THE CROWD LOVES IT!
>> NICE MOVE BY ALLEN IVERSON.
>> Stephen: HOW LONG HAD YOU BEEN PLAYING WHEN YOU WENT UP
AGAINST MICHAEL LIKE THAT?
HOW MANY YEARS HAD YOU BEEN IN THE N.B.A. WHEN YOU WENT UP
AGAINST MICHAEL LIKE THAT?
>> THAT WAS MY FIRST YEAR.
>> Stephen: THAT WAS YOUR FIRST YEAR.
WAS THAT-- WAS THAT ONE OF THE HIGH MOMENTS OF YOUR CAREER?
>> IT WAS DEFINITELY ONE OF THEM.
I DIDN'T REALLY PAY ANY ATTENTION TO IT UNTIL THE
AFTERMATH OF IT ALL.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
ONCE I GOT RESPONSE FROM EVERYBODY ELSE WORLDWIDE, YOU
KNOW, HOW MANY TIMES HAY SHOWED IT ON ESPN, AND STILL TODAY,
LIKE, LITTLE KIDS, FIVE AND SIX YEARS OLD COME UP TO ME AND THEY
DON'T SAY, YOU KNOW, ARE YOU ALLEN IVERSON?"
THEY SAY, "YOU'RE THE GUY THAT CROSSED UP MICHAEL JORDAN,
AREN'T YOU?" ( LAUGHTER )
AND IT'S A SPECIAL-- IT WAS A SPECIAL MOMENT IN MY CAREER
BECAUSE THAT WAS MY IDOL.
THAT WAS MY FAVORITE.
IF IT WASN'T FOR HIM, I WOULDN'T HAVE NEVER BEEN A BASKETBALL
PLAYER.
I WOULDN'T HAVE NEVER HAD THE VISION.
YOU KNOW, I TRULY WANTED TO BE LIKE MIKE.
THAT MIGHT, WE WAS JUST IN A WAR, AND WHEN YOU'RE IN A WAR,
AS MUCH AS YOU LOVE THE THE PERSON THAT YOU ARE PLAYING
AGAINST, YOU KNOW, MY PHILLY TEAMMATES AND MY PHILLY FANS, I
WAS ON THEIR SIDE.
( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: WELL, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE,
YOU KNOW, FOR WHATEVER REASON CRITICIZED ABOUT YOU BACK THE IN
THE DAY IS THAT YOUR STYLE WAS DIFFERENT THAN ANY OF THE OTHER
STYLES.
I DON'T MEAN JUST YOUR GAME PLAY, LIKE THE FACT THAT YOU HAD
TATTOOS.
THE FACT THAT YOU WORE YOUR HAIR IN CORNROWS.
NOW, PLAYERS CAN DO ANYTHING THEY WANT.
THEY CAN CAN HAVE STYLE THEY WANT.
LeBRON CAN BE ALL TATTED OUT AND NOBODY SAYS ANYTHING.
DO YOU THINK THEY OWE A LITTLE DEBT TO YOU FOR BEING YOUR OWN
REAL SELF?
>> THAT'S A BITTERSWEET THING FOR ME.
BECAUSE I WAS YOUNG.
I WAS 21 YEARS OLD.
AND I TOOK THE ASSPOSITIVE WHOOPING FOR THESE GUYS TODAY TO
BE ABLE TO BE THEMSELVES.
I WASN'T AFRAID TO BE WHO I AM.
I DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING WAS WRONG WITH IT.
I DRESSED LIKE THE GUYS I GREW UP WITH.
I LOOKED LIKE THE GUYS THAT I GREW UP WITH.
AND MY CORNROWS, IT WAS JUST BECAUSE I WAS TIRED OF GOING
FROM CITY TO CITY, HAVING DIFFERENT BARBERS CUT ME HAIR.
( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE )
AND THEY WERE MESSING ME HAIR UP.
AND I WAS SAYING, OKAY, WELL, IF I GET CORNED ROWS, I DON'T HAVE
TO HAVE THAT PROBLEM.
AND THE TATTOOS, I ALWAYS HAD A FETISH FOR IT.
BUT OBVIOUSLY YOU SEE IN GEORGETOWN, I ONLY HAD ONE.
AND ONCE I CAME INTO SOME MONEY AND THAT'S WHEN IT BECAME
ADDICTIVE AND I WAS ABLE TO AFFORD IT.
SO THAT'S HOW I GOT MORE AND MORE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER.
I THINK A LOT OF TIMES EYE LOVE THE THE FACT THAT WHEN PEOPLE
GET A CHANCE TO MEET ME AND BE AROUND ME, THEY UNDERSTAND THAT
I'M NOT THE PERSON THAT THE MEDIA MADE ME OUT TO BE.
A NEGATIVE ALLEN IVERSON STORY IS THE GREATEST ALLEN IVERSON
STORY FOR SOME REASON, YOU KNOW, WHAT I MEAN?
THEY DON'T TALK ABOUT WHAT I DO FOR THE AIDS AWARENESS, WHAT I
DO FOR THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB, YOU KNOW, WHAT I DO ON
THANKSGIVING, GIVING OUT TURKEYS AND GIVING OUT GIFTS ON
CHRISTMAS.
THEY DON'T TALK ABOUT THAT STUFF.
THE NEGATIVE ALLEN IVERSON.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: CONGRATULATIONS, CONGRATULATIONS.
LOVELY TO MEET YOU.
ALLEN IVERSON, EVERYBODY.
HALL OF FAMER.