Allen Iverson posted a statement on social media Thursday to address backlash he received for sharing a photo of himself with Louis Farrakhan.
On Wednesday, the 45-year-old Hall of Famer shared a photo on Instagram of a meeting he had with Farrakhan. His caption for the photo said “I didn’t choose to be black, I just got lucky!!! #BucketListMoment #LoveConquersHate #GoodDefeatsEvil”.
Farrakhan is the leader of the Nation of Islam, which has been deemed a Black nationalist and hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
In his statement, Iverson said his post was not meant to offend anyone. He said he respects Farrakhan as a powerful voice in the black community, but that he has some different opinions.
Iverson is the latest current or former pro athlete to express support for Farrakhan. DeSean Jackson was fined by the Philadelphia Eagles for sharing some anti-Semitic thoughts last week. Jackson recently was consuming content from Farrakhan, who has a history of anti-Semitic messages, according to the Anti-Defamation League. DeSean Jackson was backed by Stephen Jackson and Shannon Sharpe, among others, who have also expressed support for Farrakhan recently.
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