In life, there are some things that are an absolute certainty. For some people, naming a favorite book or a favorite teacher growing up evokes memories despite those instances likely being in the rearview mirror of their lives. However, it is rarely a desire to go back to those times. It is more of a recognition of the things and forces that helped shape how people view the world.

That favorite book sparked, or contributed to, an intellectual awakening, the seeds of curiosity being planted in a fertile mind. That favorite teacher led to a passion for learning, learning in a conventional or unconventional setting, a formal or informal matter and, perhaps, led to becoming a teacher later down the line as well. In terms of the game of basketball, there is one player who played the game and completely revolutionized the approach in the lives of then-teenagers to the now-mid 30s crowd, and that player is Allen Iverson.