National Basketball Association

Allen Iverson offers his advice to the first pick in the 2016 NBA Draft

Published Jun. 23, 2016 6:45 p.m. ET

Andrew Lynch

Allen Iverson did it all for the Philadelphia 76ers -- except winning a title.

As the No. 1 overall pick in 1997, AI came to Philly with pretty lofty expectations on his shoulders. He responded by winning Rookie of the Year, leading the league in scoring (twice), and taking the Sixers to the 2001 NBA Finals. Sure, they didn't win that elusive championship. But Iverson meant the world to the city and the organization.

Allen Iverson signing autographs at Sixers Draft Party pic.twitter.com/Jk1ezDMztO
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) June 23, 2016

Now, it's Ben Simmons' turn to bear that burden. So before the 2016 NBA Draft, Iverson offered some words of wisdom to whichever player Philly planned to take first -- while the road ahead will be rough, if you commit to the city, its people will have your back:

Iverson gave the interview while rocking an incredible, one-of-a-kind shirt that paid homage to former Sixers greats Moses Malone and Darryl Dawkins, both of whom passed away last year:

According to Iverson, he made the shirt himself, which sounds exactly like the kind of thing AI would do.