Allen Iverson Reveals He’s Been Sober For Six Months: “One Of My Best Decisions”

Allen Iverson‘s sobriety journey has him feeling like his best self. The Hall Of Famer shared the positive life update earlier today (Oct. 7) with his supporters during the press run for his new memoir, Misunderstood.

“One of my best decisions that I ever made in my life was to stop drinking,” Iverson said on CBS Mornings. He added that he feels “better than I did when I was doing it,” when asked how he feels since the switch.

“When you get drunk, you’re not how you usually are,” the former Philadelphia 76ers star explained. “The more and more I see it on other people, the more and more it makes me happy about the decision. And the more and more I see how the people around me appreciate it, I love it.”

Although Iverson has kept his personal life relatively private, his “drinking problem” was referenced over a decade ago in a Philadelphia Inquirer article by Stephen A. Smith.

Elsewhere in the interview, the 50-year-old explained the meaning behind the title of his memoir. It reflects the trials and tribulations he has gone through during his career, but now, he’s finally explaining everything with his own words. “With this book, you’re hearing it from the horse’s mouth,” he said. “Misunderstood comes from, you think you know but you have no idea. There’s a lot of things that people have said about me throughout my career. A lot of those things hurt. Calling me a thug, when I know I’m not. Judging me off of a look. I think that was one of the toughest things I really had to deal with.”

The 2001 MVP’s iconic career included severe periods of scrutiny because of how he dressed and presented himself before and during NBA games. Now, those moments are etched in sports history for their immeasurable influence — and he’s well aware. “It was something that the NBA had never seen,” Iverson said. “We had never seen anybody coming in here dressing like this with the diamond chains, watches and cornrows. Right now, all of these guys in the NBA have their own unique personalities. And dressing means a lot to them. Now I get the flowers for it from them.”

For fans who are looking to connect with Iverson IRL, he’s heading out on a book tour for Misunderstood. It kicks off today in NYC and will hit cities like Philadelphia, Atlanta, and more. Book tour tickets and details are available here, and you can buy the book here.