Allen Iverson to Bring Seafood, Soul Food Restaurant to Philadelphia

Allen Iverson wants to bring a new dining concept to Philadelphia. The Philadelphia 76ers legend and 11-time NBA All-Star teased his plans to open a restaurant in the city in an interview with GQ Magazine published on Tuesday.

When asked what he was looking forward to next, Iverson mentioned the forthcoming opening of his Virginia restaurant serving seafood and soul food. After it opens there, the Hampton, Virginia-native said he wants to bring the concept to Philadelphia because "it'll be big, obviously."

He also wants to open the restaurant in Washington, D.C., and Charlotte, where he currently lives. "I’m crawling before I walk," Iverson said in the article.

No further details about the restaurant or its second location in Philadelphia were unveiled.

Iverson was drafted by the Sixers in the first overall pick of the 1996 NBA Draft. He went on to play with the team for 10 seasons until 2006, leaving and returning for part of the 2009-2010 season. During his time in Philadelphia, Iverson led the team to an NBA Finals and appeared in seven All-Star games. He won NBA Rookie of the Year in 1997 and was named league MVP in 2001.

The former point guard — who earned the nickname "the Answer" — was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016. Authentic Brands Group, a global brand owner and development and entertainment platform, also announced on Tuesday a partnership with Iverson to help grow his brand. As a part of the deal, Authentic said it will "focus on growing Iverson's entertainment business, securing new endorsements and strategic partnerships, as well as consumer products that are as electrifying and original as the man himself."

“Authentic and I share a commitment to being number one and accepting nothing less,” Iverson said in a statement announcing the partnership. “Our shared values and their relentless drive to disrupt the branding industry make Authentic the ideal partner to take my brand to the next level.”

Authentic is the parent company of Reebok, which signed a lifetime deal with Iverson in 2001. As part of the deal, the Boston-based footwear company pays him $800,000 per year and opened up a trust fund for him that he will have access to on his 55th birthday in 2030. Iverson will receive $32 million from that trust fund.

Source: Philadelphia Business Journal