Stephen Jackson to AI: 'We can’t lose you, we just lost Kobe' originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
You can't tell the story of basketball without Allen Iverson. The mightiest 6-foot player in league history left a lasting impact on the game through his on-court performance, as well as his cultural impact off the floor.
Thursday morning, the ALL THE SMOKE Podcast with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson had Iverson on to talk about changing the basketball culture, his infamous 'practice' rant, among many other things.
During the show Jackson opened up to Iverson about his personal journey through the NBA and how AI was a role model to him, as well as many other players in the league, for his authenticity.
Caution. It's a tear-jerker.
"The way I dress right now is because of you, the tattoos and everything," Jackson said. "You gave a lot of people confidence when they didn't have confidence in themselves. You let a lot of people know they can be themselves and still be successful."
"You know why I'm telling you? You know why I'm giving you flowers? Because you mean a lot to us," Jackson said. "We can't lose you, we just lost Kobe [Bryant], we can't lose you. We'll give you all the flowers in the world right now."
Iverson was visibly moved by the comments -- as were most of those watching. The late Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gigi, passed away earlier this year in a helicopter crash with eight others.
Jackson's words to Iverson should certainly serve as a new trend to loved ones within your circle -- share those pleasantries while they're on earth to receive them, you never know what tomorrow may hold.
