Iverson: 'Important' to thank rappers, others who inspired him

Allen Iverson's candidly honest 31-minute Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement speech inspired giggles in some quarters, when he thanked old-school rappers like Jadakiss and Redman, among dozens of others.

However, one needs to recognize Iverson's impact on the NBA, and his crossover with hip-hop culture, to understand why he included the artists in his speech.

"It was just important," Iverson told Slam at a Reebok party that celebrated the 20th anniversary of his signature shoe, the Question.

"It was important to me to acknowledge the people that inspired me. The people that I love. Those guys that I talked about, their every day life inspired me as well, not just their music. Just their hustle and what they had to go through to become who they are. It was important to me."

Related: Iverson crosses up Stephen Colbert, discusses legacy on 'The Late Show'

Along with Biggie and Tupac Shakur, Iverson counted Redman in his top-three rappers of all time. While that may date the 41-year-old, it's important to remember those artists provided the soundtrack to the prime of Iverson's NBA career.