Hall of Famer Allen Iverson created his legacy using a deadly crossover dribble and scoring ‌24,368 points during his career. However, this week, Allen “The Answer” Iverson turned to social media for a completely different kind of tribute.

Iverson used his Instagram and Facebook pages to post a message that accompanied the video tribute mourning the loss. “Huge Fan…RIP to the legend Michael Wright.”

Wright, best known for his unforgettable portrayal of Eddie King Jr. in the 1991 musical drama The Five Heartbeats, died in Los Angeles on August 19 at the age of 70. He died from a heart failure along with other medical problems related to ‌Marchiafava-Bignami disease. His wife, Susan Wright, announced his death on Instagram, which was then published on Madina Milana’s YouTube channel.

“It is with profound sadness and an unimaginable heaviness in my heart that I share the passing of my beloved husband, Michael Wright,” Susan wrote. Later on, she described him as a husband, father, grandfather, and, as she called him, “an extraordinary artist whose work touched generations.”

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And the last part of her statement explains why his death struck a chord with so many people, including Iverson. Sure, there are no records of the two ever meeting, implying that Iverson’s praise came out of being a long-term admirer of Wright’s performances instead of any personal connection between the two.

However, Wright’s acting career reached much farther than the role he was known for. He won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor award at the Venice Film Festival for his role in the 1983 film Streamers directed by Robert Altman, and went on to become known on TV as Omar White, the volatile inmate from the series Oz.

Another reason Iverson’s tribute is meaningful is because of his direct link to entertainment. Despite never being a professional actor, Iverson could be featured as himself in several movies such as Like Mike and Imagine That. He has also been featured in numerous documentaries, including Allen Iverson, which aired on Prime Video in 2025.

That knowledge of the entertainment business definitely contributed to his personal reaction to the passing of Wright. It was clear that his post did not come off as just another typical tribute by any celebrity, but by a true fan.

The death of Wright is yet another tragic event in an already hard year for fans who are celebrating the glory days of Black cinema that defined the 1990s. The performance by Wright in The Five Heartbeats defined this era, and the tribute paid by Iverson highlights just how much of an impact that had, spreading out of entertainment into sports.