Happy 50th birthday, NBA superstars such as O Neal and Embiid wish Allen Iverson 50 years old

On the occasion of Alan Iverson's 50th birthday, many stars such as Shaquille O'Neal and Joel Embiid sent their blessings to pay tribute to the legendary superstar of the 76ers.

NBA legend Alan Iverson celebrated his 50th birthday on Saturday. The Philadelphia 76ers celebrated the milestone by sharing a collection of birthday wishes from retired and active NBA players on the X (formerly Twitter). The video brings together the blessings of active stars and Hall of Famers, including Joel Embiid, O'Neal, Tyreth Maxi, Paul George and Charles Barkley. The celebration demonstrates Iverson's profound influence and extraordinary achievements in basketball.

76ers' current core player Embiid sent a brief and warm birthday wish to the former No. 1 pick. The former MVP player is currently recovering from a left knee arthroscopy that he underwent in April. Embiid made only 19 appearances in the 2024-25 season, averaging 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game, shooting percentage of 44.4% and three-point shooting percentage of 29.9%.

Shaquille O'Neal and Joel Embiid delivered speeches on the occasion of Alan Iverson's 50th birthday

Shaquille O'Neal, who had played against Iverson in the 2001 NBA Finals, delivered more touching blessings and reviewed their deep friendship over the years.

"Allen Iverson, also known as Vice President, I want to say Happy Birthday to you... You are my true friend, my brother, always taking care of me, and must say hello to your dear mother on my behalf," O'Neal said. "Brother, happy birthday, 50 years old, may we live a hundred years old, may we be able to talk about the 2001 finals together in the same nursing home. I love you, brother, I will contact you again soon. Happy birthday Iverson."

Iverson, affectionately called the "Answer", was selected by the 76ers as the No. 1 pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. After that, he played in the league for 14 seasons, playing for too many teams, but left his most important mark in Philadelphia.

In his career, Iverson was selected as the All-Star 11 times, and was awarded the league's Most Valuable Player in 2001 and won the scoring title four times. In 2001, he led the Sixers to the NBA Finals and eventually lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in five games. The team later retired his No. 3 jersey and he was also selected for the NBA 75th anniversary lineup.

Iverson remains one of the most influential figures in NBA history, known for his fearless style of play, cultural influence and deep connections to the city of Philadelphia.