Former NBA player talks Jordan, Iverson and gets real about the struggles of life after basketball

The boys’ arms were outstretched, desperate to be called on. The gym floor at the Desoto Boys and Girls Club was filled Friday afternoon with teenage boys peppering former NBA All-Star Kenny Anderson with questions. Sitting in the presence of one who had made it to the top of the game, a No. 2 overall pick in the 1991 NBA Draft who played against Michael Jordan and LeBron James, the boys were reveling in the knowledge he shared as he called on them one by one.

And he was happy to drop some knowledge on them:

▪ The NBA has gotten soft.

▪ Allen Iverson was hard to guard.

▪ Kyrie Irving is greater than Steph Curry (this one sparked debate).

Anderson’s visit to the Desoto Boys and Girls Club at 5231 34th St. W. was part of a swing through the area he is making to promote a new documentary about his life. Although most of his conversation with the boys centered around basketball, he shared with them struggles he had after he retired that most athletes don’t normally talk about. The documentary goes even further.

“Mr. Chibbs,” directed by Jill Campbell, debuted at the Sarasota Film Festival on Friday night. The film centers around Anderson’s struggles after he retired, showing his progression from high school superstar in New York, to NBA All-Star, to depressed retiree searching for meaning in life in the wake of a DUI arrest and the death of his mother.

“I’m a human. No one’s perfect,” Anderson said. “Always try to better yourself, and that’s all I’m trying to do. I hope (the kids) take something with them and maybe they won’t go down the path that I did, and that’s what it’s all about.”

Campbell joined him for the appearance, and she said what makes Anderson’s story unique is its focus on his struggles after he had already overcome childhood adversity.

“It’s a raw, real story of an athlete sharing his story like no other athlete I have ever seen,” Campbell said.

And although his motto is “Basketball is easy. Life is hard,” Anderson made it clear how important hard work on the court was for success.

“Go out there, shoot 1,000 shots, get one of your friends to rebound the ball,” Anderson said. “Steph Curry — that’s all he does ... then in the game when you get to that spot, it’s muscle memory.”

Several of the boys said hearing Anderson’s story motivated them.

“He’s really a great guy and he really inspired me to work hard,” said Michael, 15.

Adrian Richard, the teen director at the Desoto Boys and Girls Club, said it was important for the boys to learn from someone who had a similar background as them.

“He faced LeBron, Jordan, everyone they look up to,” Richard said. “And this building, that’s how he came up. It’s gonna give these boys an extra chip on their shoulder seeing someone who made it to the NBA who came up just like them.”

This story was originally published April 7, 2017 at 6:35 PM with the headline "Former NBA player talks Jordan, Iverson and gets real about the struggles of life after basketball."