Dwyane Wade, like so many kids that grew up in the late 90s and early 00s, was a huge fan of Allen Iverson, which is among the reasons he wore the number 3.
As a rookie in 2003, Wade got the chance to meet Iverson for the first time down in Puerto Rico and learned Iverson’s generosity firsthand. On a recent episode of The Adam Lefkoe Show, Wade joined Lefkoe and fellow TNT Tuesday Night analyst Candace Parker to tell the story of going to a casino with Eddie Jones and having the Hall of Fame guard casually kick him a $1,000 chip so he could enjoy himself — and Wade made sure to keep a little of that for himself.
.@DwyaneWade on the time he met Allen Iverson at a casino as a rookie:
“He threw me a $1,000 chip and was like, ‘Yo, go play this, young fella.’ So I played $500, and I put the other $500 in my pocket.”
True OG
(via @LefkoeShow) pic.twitter.com/Q3wrubw93u
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 5, 2020
“Eddie Jones is like, ‘Young fella, come with me.’ Eddie Jones is my veteran. So I go with Eddie Jones, and he knew Allen Iverson was one of my favorite players, so he wanted to introduce me,” Wade said. “And he introduced me to Iverson right there while they were gambling, so Iverson’s gambling and I’m standing there the whole time. And he threw me a chip, he threw me a $1,000 chip and was like, ‘Yo, go play this, young fella.’ So I played $500, and I put the other $500 in my pocket, because I ain’t have money like that at the time.”
It’s a funny story, but also explains a lot about Iverson, who has long been one of the best veterans and past superstars when it comes to showing love to the next generation. Where many former players are critical of the modern game, Iverson has always been welcoming to the generations that have followed him, whether that’s offering them advice, praise, or, in the case of Wade, a little financial support so he can enjoy himself at the hotel casino.