“I don’t even have money for a cheeseburger” – When Allen Iverson threw $200 Million down the drain playing in NBA
Allen Iverson remains one of the most influential players to ever play the game of basketball. Even now, more than 10 years since his retirement, Iverson's influence on the game still looms large.
With his signature style and swagger on the court unlike anything the league had seen before, Iverson's brand was the epitome of 'cool' to many. Unfortunately, off the court, as Allen Iverson's career progressed, he began to struggle financially.
Despite earning $154,770,668 throughout his professional career from NBA contracts alone, Iverson found himself struggling to survive. Iverson was spending money too quickly for his own good, thanks to a huge entourage on which he lavished tens of thousands of dollars month after month.
Fortunately, his groundbreaking lifetime deal with Reebok sees him earn $1 million per year and will see him paid $32 million in the year 2030. Despite that, an excerpt from the Washington Post quoted him during a divorce proceeding in 2012 as saying that he didn't have money for a cheeseburger.
"Iverson stood during a divorce proceeding in Atlanta in 2012 and pulled out his pants pockets. “I don’t even have money for a cheeseburger,” he shouted toward his estranged wife, Tawanna, who then handed him $61."
Allen Iverson refutes claims that he's broke
Although Allen Iverson stated in court that he didn't have money for a cheeseburger, he stated several years later that he wasn't broke like many claimed he was. Ahead of the release of his 2014 documentary, Iverson shot down the talk during a CBS Mornings appearance:
"That's a myth. It's a myth. That's the rumor, ... the fact that I'm struggling in any part of my life, you know what I mean? And that's what the documentary is for as well, I really don't care too much about what people that don't care about me say about me, but a lot of times I get tired of defending myself
"And I'll be 40 years old next month, and I'm so sick of defending myself."
(Suggested Reading: Allen Iverson reminisces on stepping over Ty Lue)
Allen Iverson and the 2001 Philadelphia 76ers subject of a recent ESPN documentary
As a generational talent, many consider Allen Iverson one of the greatest shooting guards in the history of the NBA. After Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Dwyane Wade, it's Iverson who gets the nod in the eyes of many.
Recently, ESPN made Iverson and the 2001 Philadelphia 76ers the subject of a documentary, 'Everything but the Chip'. In the documentary, Iverson accepted responsibility for much of the butting heads he and coach Larry Brown did.
At the same time, Brown admitted if he'd been able to get through to Iverson, he could have been the greatest player of all time.
"If I would have done a better job of making Allen understand, then we might be talking about the greatest player who ever played the game."