There’s a particular reverence among NBA players that goes beyond any title, stats, or even the banners that have eyes from all over the world. Similarly, for many, Stephen Jackson’s legacy lives somewhere between controversy and contribution, a career split across eight teams, a championship ring with the Spurs, and major yet crucial leadership during the “We Believe” Warriors era. But when Jackson spoke on The Dan Patrick Show, it was a burning, profound truth bomb about brotherhood, misjudgment, and the quiet force of peer validation.
No denial, there are bonds among those who weathered the league’s brutal churn and still emerged unbent like no one else. And as he spoke, it was not his highlight reel doing the speaking, but his heart and what matters to him the most after his years of dedication and hard work in the NBA. The comments opened up the doors to a forgotten brotherhood directed by none other than Allen Iverson.
“I’m in the real Brother Hall of Fame,” Jackson declared before spilling more on the debate. “It’s a group of brothers who all played together in the NBA, who got some type of ridicule… guys that could actually play the game. Latrell Sprewell is in there. Allen Iverson is the leader. He’s the President.”
In Jackson’s eyes, journalists or front-office politics did not vote this ‘Real Brother Hall of Fame’ on. It’s made up of honesty, toughness, and survival, which are the raw figures of a career that wasn’t cut short. In a field that sometimes demanded conformity, he hailed Iverson as the one who provided the entire group with the blueprint to be personally unique.
Allen Iverson’s competitive resume highly needs testing off an 11-time All-Star, 2001 MVP, and 4-time scoring champ. Iverson is also a Hall of Famer by formal standards, but with Jackson’s “Real Brother Hall of Fame”, Iverson’s status is spiritual. “98% of the guys that’s in that group… he showed all of us that we can be us without compromising who we are,” Jackson said, pointing to Iverson’s unmoved on- and off-court manner.
Stephen Jackson and his symbolic group want to underscore that it isn’t a rejection of accolades. For him, it is a protest against the narrow definitions of worth in the professional sports world, filled with tough competition. Not to forget, AI was a movement from his cornrows to his crossover, not just a player.
The brotherhood Allen Iverson built brings respect over recognition
Jackson, despite averaging 15.1 points over a 14-year career, being instrumental in playoff series, and capturing a title in 2003, has never been seriously considered for the Hall of Fame. Yet, as he says, “To my peers, I hear from all of them,” and that, to him, is the true measure of greatness. The bond he describes has roots in shared battles, not just box scores.
Sprewell, often remembered more for his off-court incidents than his scoring runs, is another member of this fraternity mentioned by Jackson. So too are many other players who, like Jackson, feel the NBA misunderstood or mishandled their legacy, and things weren’t the way they expected. However, the respect they share for each other has cemented the sweat and sacrifice, and now forms the bedrock of their private shrine.
“Still being successful, and it doesn’t matter how you look, how you work, or how you talk—all that matters is just how you do your job, and that was the main reason I was able to be myself and not compromise, like, yeah, I made mistakes, but I own up to all of them, and I’m still here today.”
Stephen Jackson’s commentary isn’t just nostalgia; it’s a call to reassess how we define success in the league. And in recent years, players like him have gained new platforms through podcasts, independent media, and grassroots influence where they can raise their voices openly without any fear, which perhaps they might once have had when they were players.
Jackson’s All the Smoke show is one of the most prominent examples where he lets players control their narrative. And it is no coincidence that he and co-host Matt Barnes, another expert, often serve as voices for a new kind of sports storytelling, which is unfiltered, raw, and something that fans want. In many ways, the “Real Brother Hall of Fame” is counterculture to the pristine Hall in Springfield.
Jul 26, 2022; New York, NY, USA; Stephen Jackson poses at the NYC Point Gods Premiere at The Midnight Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Jessica Alcheh-Imagn Images
It’s an informal registry of influence, where authenticity outweighs All-NBA selections and the respect of your peers and your baller brothers matters, and it is the only vote that counts. Allen Iverson, who defied every stereotype and still made it into both Hall of Fames, formal and informal, remains its symbolic “President”, reminding everyone that greatness comes when your own people give you that seat.
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