Allen Iverson Has The Answers. He Shares His Top 5 Rappers & Hoopers With Jadakiss (Video)

If there’s anyone who embodies both Hip-Hop and hooping, it’s Allen Iverson. He recently sat down with Jadakiss to talk about his favorite rappers, his favorite ball players and what it was like to be one of the first NBA players to bring Hip-Hop swagger to the league, on and off the court.

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Jadakiss kicks off the conversation asking AI who his top 5 basketball players are. With minimal hesitation, Iverson reels of Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. After that, it gets dicey. He goes on to name several other players presently in the league who have his respect, without naming a definitive fifth.

When Jada asks The Answer about his top 5 rappers, Iverson has a similar reaction. He immediately responds that Kiss is in his top 5, along with The Notorious B.I.G., Redman and Tupac, but he gets stuck on the final MC. Again, he names several others who are contenders, noting that his list “could go on for days.”

From there, the conversation shifts to the impact Allen Iverson had on the NBA as one of the first players to bring Hip-Hop sensibilities to the league. When asked about the tats, the cornrows and the attitude that he exuded, Iverson replied “I was just being me. I didn’t plan none of it. I dressed and looked like the dude from my hood that I grew up with. It was a bittersweet feeling ’cause I took an ass-whupping for it. Just for being myself.”

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Iverson took a measure of pride, however, in emboldening those who followed them to be true to who they are. “The great feeling about it is all of the young dudes now can be who they want to be, not be scared to dress and look the way they want to look,” he said. Jadakiss likens Iverson’s experience to that he faced with The LOX early in their career, saying “we took a contract that paved the way for these new dudes to get all their publishing, and get the money that they’re supposed to get.”

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The discussion flows differently than that of a typical interview. As friends and two of the most respected at their respective crafts, it feels more like a peek into a conversation amongst peers.