Kuran Iverson Jordan Brand Classic Diary

While he spends the next few days in New York City for the 2013 Jordan Brand Classic at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, Kuran Iverson will share his experience with SLAMonline. Check daily to read up on his preparation leading up to Saturday night’s highly anticipated game. As many of you may know, Iverson is a cousin of NBA great Allen Iverson. The 6-8 wing is headed to Memphis and is considered one of the top prep players in the nation. For more on the game, including how to buy tickets, rosters, and alumni, visit the game’s official website JordanBrandClassic.com.

As told to Franklyn Calle

What’s up SLAM fam,

This is Kuran Iverson.

I’ll be giving you a first-hand account of what it’s like to be a Jordan All-American player over the next few days. I’m really excited about the Jordan Brand Classic this weekend. New York is like my second home. I’m always in Times Square. A couple of my friends live in Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan. So I just come here and enjoy my time when I’m not in Connecticut. It’s a wonderful time to be here. I’m just enjoying every minute of it and soaking it all in.

So I arrived in New York at about 11 a.m. yesterday after catching a connect flight in Charlotte from Virginia. When I landed, my first thought was that I’m here on a mission. I’m trying to get that MVP trophy. I’m not trying to let anybody else get it. I’m going to play as hard as I could. I’m going to do what it takes to get in that starting five and hopefully win that MVP trophy.

I’ve watched the Jordan Brand Classic on TV a couple of times when I was younger. But believe or not, I don’t watch TV that much at all. I rather be outside with my friends chilling and hanging out.

After I arrived in New York we had some pretty cool activities. Yesterday, I met Spike Lee and Stalley from MMG at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. I also got a chance to meet Jadakiss back at the hotel and we chopped it up and talked for a while. I’m going to play college ball at Memphis and his dad is from Memphis, so we connected quickly. He was talking to me for a good 30 minutes. He just basically told me to keep balling, to stay in school and to not be like the other guys that are on the streets selling drugs and just getting into bad things. I wasn’t expecting to meet any of them so I was definitely surprised.

I’m cool with a few of the guys that are playing in this event. I played against Wayne Selden when we were younger in AAU. I’m cool with Tyler Ennis, and especially Matt Jones. They’re cool people. Kennedy Meeks, too.

I’m the only Memphis-bound player in this event, but I’ve been keeping in contact with my future teammates—even had a little group chat on the phone before. It was me, Nick King, Markel Crawford, Austin Nichols and Rashawn Powell. But for now, I’m just looking forward to the next three days.

That’s all for now. Stay tuned for my next diary to see how Thursday went and what we did.

(Photo Credit: Rivals)