Allen Iverson, NBA Legend, Struggles with Life After Basketball Career?
Allen "The Answer" Iverson has become a man that once was a superstar on the basketball court but now has a post-NBA life filled with struggles, according to one report.
Iverson's time away from the court can only be described as a fall from grace, The Washington Post reported in a story focused on the player's life now that his athletic career is over.
Iverson returned to Philadelphia for an appearance on March 30 at the Wells Fargo Center. He played 10 years for the Philadelphia 76ers as an athlete, becoming their marquee player at one point. On that night he was introduced to the audience during a pregame ceremony and received a standing ovation. It was a brief return to glory for the former NBA All-Star.
"God gave him this great gift," said Pat Croce, former 76ers executive. "But you knew one day, he was going to take it away."
Since he last wore a 76ers jersey and was traded to various teams afterwards, Iverson divorced his wife Tawanna and was chided by a judge earlier this year for being a negligent parent. He was even ordered to attend Alcoholics Anonymous and see a shrink after his ex-wife was awarded custody of their five children.
Iverson also saw his $150 million fortune dwindle because of a gambling and his spending habits. The former couple's checking account was reportedly overdrawn by more than $23,000 in July 2011. In a single day $23,255.36 was deducted - at a diamond store, a hat shop, a steakhouse and a hotel.
His financial circumstances have become so dire that Iverson did not even have enough money for a cheeseburger during their divorce proceedings in Atlanta in 2012, according to the news report.
Iverson will not be able to touch a trust worth $30 million until he turns 55.
Many of his former teammates and coaches have expressed concern over his plight, but their attempts to reach out were rebuffed. Iverson has become a recluse who does not grant interviews and is not an easy man to keep in touch with.
"I just want to see him," Croce said. "I don't even know what he looks like."
His former Philadelphia teammate Roshown McLeod said, "He has hit rock bottom, and he just hasn't accepted it yet."
