Allen Iverson broke down in tears after reunion with teammate who tried to protect him
Allen Iverson made as many headlines off the court as he did on it. The gifted guard was named MVP in 2001 and made the All-Star team for 11 consecutive seasons. GettyIverson and Derrick Coleman grew to be close friends[/caption] But his lifestyle and fiery personality often got him in trouble. Iverson blew a $200million fortune on jewelry, cars, and nights out, later admitting to Afrotech that he was unprepared for fame. One former teammate who saw the warning signs was Derrick Coleman. When the No. 1 overall pick joined the league in 1996, Coleman was already a team leader for the Philadelphia 76ers. The 1991 Rookie of the Year revealed what he told Iverson during a chat with The Players’ Tribune. “I used to tell him all the time, ‘Yo, send your homeboys home, man. Because they’re going to get you in trouble and blame you. They’re driving your car – who’s name is registered to? Allen Iverson,'” he said. “When they pull out Allen Iverson, you know, they got guns in a car, they got weed, whatever, he ain’t nowhere to be found.” Coleman left his second stint with Philadelphia in 2004 and met Iverson over a decade later in Detroit. “As soon as he saw me, he started crying,” Coleman revealed. “We had some drinks, and I’m like, ‘Motherf*****, what you crying for? I’ve seen you in a minute.’ GettyThe 76ers duo shared a love for luxury cars[/caption] GettyIverson was emotional after meeting up with his former teammate[/caption] “He said, ‘I get emotional when I come around you.’ We’re talking real love.” Iverson’s love of luxury cars is infamous – and it was Coleman who sparked it. “I remember coming to practice one day, and DC, Derrick Coleman, pulled up in the Rolls Royce and I was like, ‘Yo, what the f*** is that?’ Because I don’t know what no Rolls Royce is,” he told the Knuckleheads Podcast. “I was like, ‘Yo, what is that, man?’ Had the drop top joint, too. And he was like, ‘Man, this is called an automobile. This is not a car, this is an automobile.’ “Next day, I got the drop joint.” Coleman ended up playing the role of big brother to Iverson. Their relationship didn’t yield any Championships but the friendship would stand the test of time. Now 57, Coleman made headlines for all the right reasons in 2016. He drove 65 miles daily to deliver water to the people of Flint, Michigan, from his home in Detroit. “It’s a shock for some people to see a 6-foot-10 guy standing there,” Coleman told syracuse.com. “They say, ‘Hey, man, you look like Derrick Coleman.’ I tell them, ‘Yeah, I get that a lot.’ “And then they thank me, and it’s a blessing. And I move on.”
Allen Iverson made as many headlines off the court as he did on it.
The gifted guard was named MVP in 2001 and made the All-Star team for 11 consecutive seasons.
But his lifestyle and fiery personality often got him in trouble.
Iverson blew a $200million fortune on jewelry, cars, and nights out, later admitting to Afrotech that he was unprepared for fame.
One former teammate who saw the warning signs was Derrick Coleman.
When the No. 1 overall pick joined the league in 1996, Coleman was already a team leader for the Philadelphia 76ers.
The 1991 Rookie of the Year revealed what he told Iverson during a chat with The Players’ Tribune.
“I used to tell him all the time, ‘Yo, send your homeboys home, man. Because they’re going to get you in trouble and blame you. They’re driving your car – who’s name is registered to? Allen Iverson,'” he said.
“When they pull out Allen Iverson, you know, they got guns in a car, they got weed, whatever, he ain’t nowhere to be found.”
Coleman left his second stint with Philadelphia in 2004 and met Iverson over a decade later in Detroit.
“As soon as he saw me, he started crying,” Coleman revealed.
“We had some drinks, and I’m like, ‘Motherf*****, what you crying for? I’ve seen you in a minute.’
“He said, ‘I get emotional when I come around you.’ We’re talking real love.”
Iverson’s love of luxury cars is infamous – and it was Coleman who sparked it.
“I remember coming to practice one day, and DC, Derrick Coleman, pulled up in the Rolls Royce and I was like, ‘Yo, what the f*** is that?’ Because I don’t know what no Rolls Royce is,” he told the Knuckleheads Podcast.
“I was like, ‘Yo, what is that, man?’ Had the drop top joint, too. And he was like, ‘Man, this is called an automobile. This is not a car, this is an automobile.’
“Next day, I got the drop joint.”
Coleman ended up playing the role of big brother to Iverson.
Their relationship didn’t yield any Championships but the friendship would stand the test of time.
Now 57, Coleman made headlines for all the right reasons in 2016.
He drove 65 miles daily to deliver water to the people of Flint, Michigan, from his home in Detroit.
“It’s a shock for some people to see a 6-foot-10 guy standing there,” Coleman told syracuse.com.
“They say, ‘Hey, man, you look like Derrick Coleman.’ I tell them, ‘Yeah, I get that a lot.’
“And then they thank me, and it’s a blessing. And I move on.”
