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NBA Hall of Famer Allen Iverson Touts ‘Bucket List Moment’ of Meeting Louis Farrakhan, but Disavows Antisemitism
by Shiryn Ghermezian
Philadelphia 76ers guard Allen Iverson (3) drives on Sacramento Kings forward Omri Casspi (R), during the third quarter of NBA basketball action in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Jan. 15, 2010. Photo: Reuters / Tim Shaffer.
NBA legend Allen Iverson on Wednesday became the latest high-profile figure to express support for Nation of Islam leader and notorious antisemite Louis Farrakhan.
The former Philadelphia 76er — who was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016 — posted on Instagram a photo from when he met Farrakhan in 2017. Iverson wrote in the photo’s caption, “I didn’t choose to be black, I just got lucky!!! #BucketListMoment #LoveConquersHate #GoodDefeatsEvil.”
Ex-NBA player Stephen Jackson commented on the post “Love u bro,” and a screenshot showed that NFL star DeSean Jackson, who recently praised Farrakhan, initially liked the photo under his handle @0ne0fone but later removed his like, Jewish Insider reported.
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On Thursday, Iverson shared with his over 8 million Instagram followers a lengthy statement in which he disavowed Farrakhan’s antisemitism but did not apologize for sharing the photo.
Iverson noted his relationship with Farrakhan began with the latter’s son, Mustapha. He highlighted that he had “respect” for the “strong voice” Farrakhan had been “on behalf of Black people and his impact on the Black community.” However, he added, Farrakhan had also made remarks that were “different from my own views and beliefs.”
Iverson said his post “wasn’t meant to offend anyone,” emphasizing, “I do not support or condone hatred of any kind. Specifically, I do not support anti-Semitic or homophobic views from anyone.”
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Other celebrities who recently showed support for Farrakhan include rapper Ice Cube, comedian Chelsea Hander, actor Nick Cannon and entrepreneur Sean “Diddy” Combs.
