The impact of Allen Iverson goes far beyond what he did on the court.

It must be measured also by what he represented, the era he came from, and what he inspired, writes Marcus Thompson II for The Athletic.

His on-court accolades include being named an 11-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selections, four-time scoring champion, two-time All-Star MVP, and winning the 2000-2001 NBA MVP.

Those accolades helped place him at No. 49 in the new “The Basketball 100” list of the league’s greatest players.

However, his legacy is also connected to his prevalence to hip-hop culture.

“He is a hero to a segment of the population systematically disregarded and disenfranchised that yet proved mighty enough to change the globe,” said Thompson II.

The way that hip-hop was born as a vehicle of expression, self-actualization, and community uplifting is relatable to how Iverson carried himself.

The cornrows, baggy clothes, jewelry, and play style spoke to those who watched him play, like Stephen Curry.

“His flair. His confidence. His uniqueness,” Curry said. “He represented culture on the basketball court and off. He was unashamed and unapologetic about who he was, even when the rules were almost set up for him to fail in the sense of how he ran his life.”

Read more about Allen Iverson and what earned him his ranking in The Athletic.

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