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words // Nick DePaula:
Allen Iverson was the most iconic player of his generation, impacting pop culture, style and the way the game is played heading into a new millennium. This evening, he proudly enters the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, affirming one of the most storied NBA careers of the modern era.
To honor his official induction into the Hall of Fame, Reebok will be releasing a special edition version of his very first signature shoe, the Question, later this afternoon.
Styled in Space Flume and Metallic Flint Grey, the Question’s upper is made of a premium Italian Pellegrini leather, with pale gold smooth leather accents along the heel and a glove leather lining. Along the insole, you’ll find a personal Thank You message to his fans, directly from AI.
For Allen Iverson, it’s an achievement he’s long thought of, as he continued to rack up points, playoff runs and the respect of his peers along the way.
“I mean, it’s just an honor,” Iverson told me in February, just after being named a finalist for this year’s Hall of Fame class. “I’d be lying to you, and I might not’ve said it publicly [along the way], but it’s something that you think about as you get better and better. As you start accomplishing so many different things, in your mind, you’re thinking, ‘Damn, I can be a Rookie of the Year if I work hard.’ Or, ‘I can make the Olympic team.’ Or, ‘I can make the All-Star team.’
“Then, after you accomplish all of those things, after awhile, you know how good you are because of just your production. The more and more you accomplish things. I used to say, ‘Wouldn’t it be crazy, I could be a Hall of Famer?’ In your mind, you’re thinking like, “Why not me?” God gave me all this, why waste the talent that he gave me. Why not go full throttle with it all and try to become in the class with the greatest players that ever played the game. That’s just a great feeling.
“Then, you think about all of the guys, teammates and coaches, fans and family members and friends – everybody that helped you get there – because it’s a tribute to them too. Once it happens, if it happens, they’re going to get all of the credit, because without all of those people that I mentioned, it wouldn’t be possible.”
Allen Iverson can now say, in the third person of course: “Allen Iverson is a Hall of Famer.”
The Reebok Question “Celebrate” will go on sale today at 12 PM EST at http://www.reebok.com/us/celebrate, and is priced at $275.
