"You the little MF'er they drafted to replace me?" - Lou Williams on Iverson's first message when he arrived to the 76ers

“You the little MF’er they drafted to replace me?” – Lou Williams on Iverson’s first message when he arrived to the 76ers originally appeared on Basketball Network.

For players entering the NBA in the early 2000s, Allen Iverson wasn’t just a basketball role model — he was a cultural icon, a living legend whom everyone tried to emulate in some way. While fans gravitated toward his fashion, tattoos, cornrows and rebellious swagger, young hoopers were more focused on emulating A.I.’s lightning-quick crossover, fearlessness and confidence in the paint. Among them was a young Lou Williams, who grew up idolizing The Answer wholeheartedly.

Inadvertently, for Sweet Lou, the first message he received from Allen was filled with brotherly love as well as intimidation.

Williams on the first message Iverson gave him

By the time Lou arrived in Philadelphia straight out of high school, Allen was one of the biggest active forces in the league. The latter had won Rookie of the Year, MVP, had six All-NBA selections against his name and even led the 76ers to the NBA Finals for the first time in almost two decades. Thus, for Williams, just sharing the court with his idol was beyond surreal, especially when Iverson had already led the league in scoring the previous season.

On the other hand, for A.I., the picture was different. After constant back-and-forth, he sensed that his time in Philly could be coming to a close. As a result, when The Answer had the chance to greet Sweet Lou, he did so, but in his own unique style that made the latter experience a sense of warmth and toughness.

“I patterned my game, I patterned my style after A.I.,” Williams recalled. “So, coming in (into the league), I was terrified of the dude. I was scared of what he was gonna say. How he was gonna treat me, whatever? A lot of times, you don’t wanna meet the person that you look up to ’cause they probably gonna let you down.”

I was at a celebrity basketball game. He walked in, and we made eye contact, and he b-lined towards me. My heart started beating fast. A.I. walks up to me and he said, ‘You the little motherf—er they drafted to replace me?’ That was the first thing A.I. said to me. He said that while he was bear-hugging me. He was like, ‘You’re welcome, bro. Anything you need, I got you.’ Once he embraced me, the whole city embraced me,” he added.

Iverson made sure Williams got the guidance he required

As Lou carved out his own identity in the league, gradually becoming arguably the best Sixth Man the league had ever seen, he repeatedly credited Allen for giving him the tools to succeed on the big stage. The confidence, the work ethic, the discipline to never cheat the game and dominate despite being an undersized guard

It is safe to say that Williams may never have matched Iverson in accolades or fanfare, but he carried his mentor’s essence every time he checked into a game. And so, while fans rightly praise Lou’s legacy as a trailblazer for bench players, it becomes apparent to remember that his very first blueprint was drawn by none other than A.I. — a legend who believed in him before the rest of the NBA world knew his name or saw his potential on the basketball hardwood.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 30, 2025, where it first appeared.

“You the little MF’er they drafted to replace me?” – Lou Williams on Iverson’s first message when he arrived to the 76ers

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