Former NBA star Allen Iverson says the “lowest point” of his life came not on the court, but during his divorce from his longtime wife. The 50-year-old basketball icon opened up about the struggle in a recent interview on ESPN’s First Take, while promoting his new memoir, Misunderstood.
He told host Stephen A. Smith, “It was self-inflicted. But it was when Tawanna divorced me.” He said that moment forced a “deep self-reevaluation” of his life.
The Turning Point
Iverson recalled sitting in a courtroom reading the divorce papers. “Them tears started to hit the [divorce] papers,” he said. “I looked down and see ‘Iverson vs. Iverson.’” That moment, he said, marked when he knew he’d reached his lowest point.
He added that the divorce coincided with the end of his basketball career. He admitted to wrestling with his identity, his personal choices, and his coping mechanisms. “It’s a plethora of things,” he said. “All I could think about was negative experiences.”
Iverson also revealed that as part of his reflection, he recognized that alcohol had become a destructive force in his life.
Reconciliation, Recovery and Sobriety
In a separate interview on CBS Mornings, Iverson announced he has been sober for six months. He called quitting drinking “one of the best decisions I ever made in my life.” He said, “When you get drunk, you are not how you usually are. The more I see the people around me appreciate it, I love it.”
Iverson confirmed that he and his ex, Tawanna Turner, have since reconciled. When asked how he persuaded her to return, he joked, “A lot of Keith Sweat. I had to beg a lot.”
He also spoke of his hopes for his legacy beyond basketball. He reflected, “I made a lot of them comfortable in their own skin and feel that they are able to express themselves.”
Iverson’s real-life account in Misunderstood paints a portrait of struggle, redemption and growth. In examining that painful chapter, he shows how hard choices can lead to clarity.