Adena Andrews.com

Drinking, divorce, gambling. You did this to Allen Iverson.

I know you didn’t personally put the bottle to his mouth and you didn’t make him neglect his wife but you still did this. Thoughts are a powerful mechanism for change (good and bad) and with every negative and mean thing you have called A.I. you did this.

If you rocked a Sixers No. 3 jersey and/or understand his place in this game then I’m not talking to you. I’m talking to those who hide behind the blogosphere and do things like write ridiculously racists comments on articles about the man. You cowards.

A.I. said this on his Twitter account earlier this week:

To my fans: You all know that my life isn’t perfect. I am going through some very tough times right now, like I am sure that we all do from time to time. However, I will stand tall like always with “rhino” thick skin. Even though I have become used to hearing people say things about me that aren’t true, it still hurts. I encourage you to continue your ongoing support and I want you to trust that this is another obstacle in my life that, with God’s help I will overcome. God Bless You All.

Just a streetballer, thug, no good for the game is what you said about him. These words all took a toll on a man who may do superhuman things on the floor, but is only a man.

I hope you enjoyed molesting and ridiculing this future hall of famer because after this season he may not be here for you to kick around. You may have driven one of the greatest icons of the game to drink, literally.

Maybe his talent was just too much for one to understand; therefore you had condemn it like all things foreign and innovative.

From what folks in my field have told me Allen is one of the nicest players. Scratch that. One of the nicest human beings you will ever meet. Humble, down to earth and a heart the size of Philly, Memphis, Detroit and Denver combined. The A.I. that the media loves to portray (think practice speech) is light-years away from the Allen they see in private.

You just couldn’t love him.

He has his own charity and participates in numerous others.

And….

Loves his baby girl more than the career he has spent his entire life building.

So what…

Gives back to whatever city chooses to embrace him at the time.

Not that important to you…

Had a crossover so mean that it tiptoed the line between legal and “did he just do that?” Ask Jordan.

Guess that didn’t matter….

He grew up in front of our eyes surprising even his closet comrades.

Eh…

According to you, he has bastardized the game. Given it to a generation of baggy pants, cornrow wearing, hip-hop-listening thugs. Damn shame.

Yet, year after year someone puts him on the All-Star team. And every night arenas across the country are filled with every color of the rainbow bopping their heads to whatever hip-hop song is blasting over the PA, wearing oversized jerseys, begging for an ankle-breaking crossover, a la Iverson.

Yeah, he sure did ruin the game.