The Answer, Allen Iverson, turns 41 years young today, June 7th.
NBATV honored the 2016 Hall Of Fame inductee last night with a special hour long interview that featured segments with some of his former coaches like John Thompson and Larry Brown, as well as fellow Hall Of Famers Charles Barkley and Isaiah Thomas.
In addition to the NBATV special, Reebok will be celebrating Iverson's 41st today by releasing a special edition "White Party" Reebok Question, which features a slick premium leather upper and quilted stitching.
It goes without saying, the Reebok Questions are undoubtedly one of A.I's most iconic sneakers, as they are the ones he rocked upon his arrival in the NBA back in 1996.
To this day, those sneakers as well as some of A.I's other more popular signature kicks are still being retro'd by Reebok and it's a trend that we hope continues until The Answer turns 101.
Without further adieu, check out our ranking of Allen Iverson's Top 5 signature sneakers.
Reebok Answer 3
5.) Reebok Answer 3
Reebok kept it fairly simple with the Reebok Answer 3 and sometimes that's what's best for business.
A.I's third signature sneaker originally debuted in 1999, featured a full grain leather upper, the classic DMX Lite cushioning, and the iconic "I3" branding.
The Answer 3 is definitely a cult classic, one that only true Allen Iverson fans will appreciate but if you know, you know.
And by that I mean, these are the kicks A.I. wore when he won his first scoring title and was selected to his first All-NBA First Team.
So not only does the Reebok Answer 3 maintain a clean, old school look but they also have a nice little story to go along with them- certainly worthy of a spot in my Top 5.
Reebok I3 Playoff DMX
4.) Reebok I3 Playoff DMX
The Reebok I3 Playoff DMX is one of the more forgotten Allen Iverson sneakers, and that's because these were a playoff exclusive. A playoff exclusive that A.I never even wore during the playoffs.
Furthermore, having released in 2001, this particular shoe was sandwiched in between two of the more popular Iverson signatures- which we'll get to later.
That said, if you can remember the days of Eastbay catalogs, you'll remember seeing the I3 Playoff DMX proudly displayed in a plethora of colorways though the most classic was the all black with metallic gold "I3" stamped on the upper ankle.
Much like the Answer 3, Reebok kept it extremely simply with Iverson's playoff-specific sneaker, but it was something that worked- unlike some of the shoes that Reebok released later in A.I's career.
Reebok Answer V
3.) Reebok Answer V
The Reebok Answer V burst onto the scene in 2001 and it was accompanied by one of the greatest sneaker commercials of all time. You know the one I'm talking about- Jada and A.I., make sure you go get the A5.
That ad surely played a role in the popularity of the Answer V, but the shoes were strong enough to stand on their own, especially considering they released the year after Iverson won the NBA's MVP award.
If you weren't on board with Iverson's signature sneakers before 2001, the Jadakiss commercial and The Answer's MVP season certainly pushed you over the edge. And if you were already a Reebok Answer fan, it was only a matter of which colorways to get, black/silver, white/red, white/silver, white/black etc.
Reebok Question
2.) Reebok Question
The Reebok Question, with those iconic little honeycomb air units, can go toe to toe with any Reebok sneaker in history, including the Reebok Pump. The sneaker has withstood the test of time and it is still as dope today as it was when Allen Iverson debuted them during his rookie season.
They were the shoes he crossed up MJ in and the shoes he won the rookie of the year award in.
Reebok has released countless colorways of the Reebok Question over the years, including some collaborative pieces and premium joints like the upcoming "White Party" pair in honor of Iverson's 41st birthday.
The Reebok Question is easily recognizable to even the most casual of basketball fans and it is absolutely worthy of the top spot on this list, but I have reserved that position for another timeless classic.
Reebok Answer IV
1.) Reebok Answer IV
2001. Reebok released the Answer IV, a sneaker which featured a portrait of Iverson on the insole, an image of his face on the sole, the now iconic "I3" logo, and a god damn zipper. A basketball sneaker. With a zipper.
Iverson would go on to win the All-Star MVP and NBA MVP that season. He was a member of the All-NBA First Team that season. He led the league in points per game that season with 31.1. And he delivered one of the most iconic moments in NBA Finals history, when he stepped over Tyronn Lue in Game 1 after drilling a clutch jumpshot in front of the Los Angeles Lakers bench.
The sneakers that were on The Answer's feet during that career year was the Reebok Answer IV, and it's the reason why the kicks are so beloved by 20-30 year olds across the country.
The sneakers are nothing short of iconic and each time they retro they are met with open arms- except for the slip-on joints they released, but let's not get into that.
When it comes to Iverson's greatest signature sneakers it's always going to be a matchup of the Questions vs the Answer IVs. If you ask me tomorrow or next week, I might choose the Questions.
But today, on Allen Iverson's 41st, I'm going with the IVs.
