The year was 2000. The Los Angeles Lakers were the NBA's reigning champions and The Marshall Mathers LP ruled the radio. Into this climate, Philadelphia 76ers guard Allen Iverson—fresh off his first All-Star season—decided to release a rap album.
Big mistake.
“I remember when I did that terrible rap song,” Iverson told Rachel Nichols in Thursday’s episode of Headliners on Showtime. “Awful. That’s one of the things, today, I’m so embarrassed every time we go somewhere and people play it.”
Howard Smith/USA TODAY Sports
The first single—"40 Bars"—made it to the airwaves, and it received widespread criticism for its homophobic and sexist lyrics. According to Iverson, then-NBA commissioner David Stern took him to task for the song in unique fashion.
"When it came out, there was a big uproar over the whole thing. He called me to his office," Iverson said. "Out of nowhere, he pulled out a piece of paper. He said, 'I'm gonna read something to you.'"
This story is incredible 😂 Remember when Allen Iverson put out a rap album? AI explains how David Stern called him into his office - AND STARTED RAPPING HIS OWN LYRICS BACK TO HIM. Full interview with Iverson on this week's Headliners, streaming now on Showtime and Paramount+ pic.twitter.com/3rsoLljBJn
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) December 22, 2023
Stern then read, verbatim, lyrics from “40 Bars” to their author.
“I’m hearing David Stern read the rap that I wrote. It was just the craziest moment. My heart was thumping so bad,” Iverson said.
By Oct. 2001, Misunderstood—the planned full album—was dead.
