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Allen Ezail Iverson (born June 7, 1975, in Hampton, Virginia)http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9399747, nicknamed A.I. and The Answer, is an American professional basketball player. He is an All-Star point/shooting guard for the Philadelphia 76ers franchise of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A ten-year veteran at the age of 31, he is considered by many to be among the greatest guards of his generation and one of the most prolific scorers in the history of the game.
In 2003, Iverson was ranked 53rd on SLAM Magazine's Top 75 NBA players of all time.
Before the NBA
Early years
On June 7, 1975, Allen Iverson was born on the Virginia Peninsula (where both Hampton and Newport News are located). The son of Allen Broughton and Ann Iverson, his dad skipped out on the family and their then 15-year-old mother was left caring for him and his sister Brandy. Shortly after being born, his maternal grandmother - often the pillar in an inner-city family - died as well. In 1991, Iverson, Brandy and their mother welcomed a new addition to the family, Leisha, who was ill, adding to the family bills. Growing up, Iverson was often responsible for taking care of his younger sisters Brandy (born 1979) and Liesha (born 1991), which was especially difficult with the toddler, who suffered frequent seizures.
Mounting medical bills pushed the family further in debt. Ann's boyfriend, Allen's de facto father, Michael Freeman has been in and out of jail all of his life. After a car accident left him unemployed once again in 1991, desperate for money Freeman was caught and convicted for drug possession with intent to distribute. "I didn't buy Cadillacs and diamond rings," Freeman explains, "I was payin' bills."
Iverson used to blame the man who taught him how to play basketball and pushed him to excel at it. Today he's proud of Freeman. "He never robbed nobody," said Allen. "He was just tryin' to feed his family. It would kill him to come from jail and find out how his family was living. One time he came home and just sat down and cried." Today he's serving time in the same Virginia jail to where Allen was sent in 1993.
Iverson's mother saw his basketball skills as a ticket to get out of the projects and live a normal life. She encouraged Allen to keep playing the game he loved so much. Every time his mother saw him to lose heart she told him "go till the end every time you see the chance".
Iverson once recalled about his childhood- "Coming home, no lights, no food, sometimes no water. Then when there was water, no hot water. Living in a house where the sewer was busted under the house and having to watch my sister walk around in her socks all day because the floor was wet from the sewage. The smell was making my sister sick."
Bethel High School
In his days at Bethel High School in Hampton, Iverson was a star football and basketball player, having quarterbacked Bethel High School's football team to the state championship and in the process of leading the basketball squad to the same trophy. Iverson was a local sports hero.
Due to his incarceration of an alleged fight in a bowling alley, Iverson missed out on a scholarship to Kentucky University (while in jail) where he planned to play both football and basketball. He studied while in jail and thought about his prospects. Although extremely bright, Iverson was never a good student and was falling behind in school. The notoriety didn't help. "I'm sure some colleges will stay away," Iverson said from his cell. "But it'll work out. This has given me time to think about what I need to do to succeed in the world.", after five months behind bars, Iverson was set free by Virginia's first black Governor, Doug Wilder on conditional release. In the meantime, Ann Iverson went to Georgetown University to convince Coach John Thompson to be her son's guardian, in terms of coach and father figure. Once Thompson saw Iverson's talent, he accepted to coach him and Iverson was offered a full scholarship to Georgetown University.
College at Georgetown University
At Georgetown, Iverson was an Arts major, while fascinating fans on the basketball courts. His days at Georgetown were marked by two Big East Defensive Player of the Year awards, a Rookie of the Year award, 1995-1996 All-Tournament 1st Team, and a Gold Medal for his win at the World University Games in Japan in 1995. He was also Georgetown's All-Time scorer.
As his family situation worsened and he had more mouths to feed (such as his daughter Tiaura, with his then girlfriend Tawanna Turner), Iverson wanted to play professional basketball as soon as possible, which meant leaving school before graduating. He was introduced to David Falk, a respected agent who put his trust in Iverson and ultimately helped him realize his dreams.
After two great years at Georgetown, Allen left his coach and father figure John Thompson and announced himself eligible for the NBA draft. He probably did this to get his family out of the projects before it was too late. Iverson says: "If I can leave this planet knowing that my friends and family are alright, that's good enough for me. That's all I need to know."
NBA career
Sixer years from 1996 to 1999
After two outstanding seasons at Georgetown, Allen Iverson was the first player picked in the 1996 NBA Draft. Iverson quickly established himself as a premier NBA backcourtman, he was named Schick Rookie of the Year and a member of the All-Rookie First Team.
Iverson led the Sixers with 23.5 points (sixth in the NBA), 7.5 assists (11th) and 2.07 steals (seventh), leading all NBA rookies in each category.
Despite all this, in his first year, he was often being criticized by the media and by some NBA players themselves. They often pointed out his lack of respect to great NBA players and his selfishness with the ball, and often backed this up by emphasizing the Sixers' poor record despite his achievements.
Even though his scoring dropped from 23.5 in 96/97 to 22 that year, Allen became more of a team player.
In the 1999-2000 season, Iverson had his first trip to the playoffs, having played well in a year in which he set records, was the NBA scoring champion, and a starter for the All Star game - Iverson felt he deserved to go to the play-offs, He started all ten playoff games and averaged 44.4 minutes per game despite being hampered by a number of nagging injuries. He averaged 26.2 points, 4.5 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.20 steals per game, with a high of 40 points in the First Round opener at Charlotte on April 22.
2000-2001 MVP season
Iverson arguably had his best season in 2001 - he led his team to win their first ten matches, he started and won All-Star MVP honors at the All-Star game, was the NBA scoring champion for the second time, was the NBA steals champion, and ultimately led his team to an NBA finals appearance against the Los Angeles Lakers' Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant.
Relationship with Larry Brown
For most of the early portion of Iverson's career, his head coach with the Sixers was Larry Brown. Iverson often praised Brown, saying that he would not have achieved so much in the sport without Brown's guidance. Iverson had a love-hate relationship with Brown, however, and the two frequently clashed, most famously after the 76ers were defeated in the first round of the 2002 NBA Playoffs. Brown criticized Iverson for missing team practices and Iverson defended himself with what would become a famous and oft-quoted monologue which some observers felt indicated a lack of appreciation by Iverson for the importance of practice.
If somebody tell you that I've missed practice, if-if the coach says I missed practice and ya'll hear it, then thats that. I mean I might have missed one practice this year, but if somebody say he 'doesn't come to practice', then it could be one practice, out of all the practices this year that's enough. . .If i can't practice I can't practice man, if I'm hurt I'm hurt, I mean simple as that. . .It ain't about that, its not about that,at all you know what I'm saying? I mean. . . But it-it's easy to talk about it, it's easy to sum it up when you just talk about practice. We sitting here and I'm supposed to be the franchise player, and we're in here talking about practice. I mean listen, we're talking about practice. Not a game, not a game, not a game We're talking about practice. Not a game, not the-not the , not the game that I go out there and die for, and play every game like it's my last. Not the game. We're talking about practice, man. I mean, how silly is that? We're talking about practice. I know I'm supposed to be there. I know I'm supposed to lead by example . . . I know that, and I'm not shoving it aside you know like it don't mean anything I know it's important. . . I do. . . I honestly do. But we're talking about practice, man. What are we talking about? Practice? We're talking about practice, man . . . We're talking about practice. We're talking about practice. We ain't talking about the game, we're talking about practice, man. When you come to the arena, and you see me play, you see me play don't you? . . . you see me give everything I got, right? But we're talking about practice right now. We're talking about pract- Man look I hear you it's funny to me too, and I mean it's strange to me too. But we are talking about practice. We're not even talking about the game, the actual game, when it matters. We're talking about practice. . . How the hell can I make my team better by practice?
- — Allen Iverson at a press conference on May 8, 2002
He said "practice" more times than he's actually practiced.
- — Larry Brown speaking to reporters the next day
Nonetheless, when Brown left the 76ers in 2003, both he and Iverson indicated that the two were on good terms and genuinely fond of one another. Iverson later reunited with Brown when Iverson became a member and co-captain of the 2004 United States Olympic men's basketball team.
In 2005, on Stephen A. Smith's ESPN talkshow Quite Frankly, Iverson was asked to outline his problems with Brown. Iverson declared that he was privileged and honored to have had Brown as his coach, without any qualms, reservations or criticism; he described Brown as an overwhelmingly positive influence on his basketall career and in his personal life. Smith then played a clip of Brown describing "The Answer" as an ideal role-model for American children, and Iverson wept.[1]
2004 Olympics
The team's performance at the Olympic Games, however, would ultimately prove to be a disappointment. Iverson, alongside teammate LeBron James, were benched for a game for having arrived late to a practice session. The United States' team had a dismal start against Germany, which had failed to qualify for the Olympic competition. Iverson did succeed in keeping the game from going into overtime with a miraculous half-court shot in the closing seconds.
Despite the dramatic win, the team continued to struggle. They would ultimately claim a bronze medal, a very disappointing showing by US basketball standards.
Player profile
Iverson is a prolific scorer who has averaged 28.0 points per game in his career, trailing all-time leader Michael Jordan in this category by only 2.1 points per game. Iverson's trademark crossover dribble is regarded as one of the most effective moves in the game, making him difficult for a defender to contain in one-on-one play. Iverson is also known for his ability to draw fouls, at times seeming to get the free-throw line almost at will. He is regularly one of the NBA's leaders in free throws attempted.[2]
On defense, Iverson is also an adept ball-thief and is known for playing the passing lanes. He again regularly ranks among the league leaders in steals.
Critics point out that Iverson's career shooting percentage (.421) is unremarkable. They also frequently accuse Iverson of being a ball hog: as of April 2006, he has taken ~15,800 shots in just under 700 games, averaging over 23 per game.
Despite these criticisms, Iverson is as of 2006 still generally regarded as one of the best guards in the game, as evidenced by Iverson's being named the starting point guard for the Eastern Conference in the NBA All-Star Game for the past seven consecutive seasons. He was voted to the All-NBA third team in the 2005-2006 season.
Iverson's ability to effectively employ such a versatile combination of scoring methods — driving to the basket, drawing fouls, shooting from outside, and creating his own shot off of the dribble — all at only six feet tall, has made him one of the most unique players in NBA history.
Entire NBA career with one team
Iverson is tied with Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers (ten years) for second place among active NBA players who have played their entire career for only one team. Kevin Garnett leads all active players, having played 11 years for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Controversy
Iverson has often been a controversial figure, dating back to his teenage years, including some troubles with the law.
1993
A highly publicized incident on Valentine's day that almost jeopardized his college career, Iverson was involved in a racially-charged fight at a Hampton, Virginia bowling alley. On February 14, 1993, Iverson and several of his friends became involved in an altercation with a group of white teenagers. Allen's crowd was raucous and had to be asked to quiet down several times, and eventually something of a shouting duel began with another group of youths (all white). The only indisputable fact is that shortly thereafter a huge fight erupted, pitting the local white kids against the blacks. During the fight, Iverson was accused of attacking a woman and hitting her in the head with a chair. He, along with three of his friends, also black, were the only ones arrested in the incident. Iverson, 17 years of age at the time, was convicted as an adult of the felony charge of "maiming-by-mob" and received a 15-year prison sentence (10 years suspended). Iverson and his supporters maintain his innocence. Allen cannot be seen on an amateur video of the incident, and he claims he left the alley as soon as the trouble began. "For me to be in a bowling alley where everybody in the whole place know who I am and be crackin' people upside the head with chairs and think nothin' gonna happen?" asks Iverson. "That's crazy! And what kind of a man would I be to hit a girl in the head with a damn chair? I wish at least they'd said I hit some damn man."
This incident was profiled on the television newsmagazine 60 Minutes due to claims of racial bias in the adjudication of the case. L. Douglas Wilder, at the time Governor of Virginia, became convinced that Iverson had been treated unfairly and controversially granted Iverson clemency, releasing him from his sentence. Iverson's conviction was later overturned on appeal.
1997
Iverson, along with his friends, was stopped by policemen for speeding late midnight and was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon and for possession of marijuana. He pleaded no contest and was sentenced to community service.
2002
Iverson allegedly threw his wife Tawanna out of the mansion during a fight. The following night, an enraged Iverson later went looking for his wife at his cousin's apartment. His cousin wouldn't let him in (Iverson was the one who paid the rent for the house). According to the police report, Iverson repeatedly threatened to kill his cousin Charles Jones and Jones's roommate while showing them a semi-automatic gun. Iverson was arrested and charged with 14 different counts. All charges were ultimately dropped after conflicting testimonies from witnesses.
2004
During the latter part of the 2003-2004 season, Iverson bristled under the disciplinarian approach of the Sixers' new head coach Chris Ford. This led to a number of contentious incidents, including Iverson being suspended for missing practice, fined for failing to notify Ford that Iverson would not attend a game because he was sick, and refusing to play in game because he felt "insulted" that Ford wanted Iverson to come off the bench as he worked his way back from an injury.[3]
On February 24, 2004, Iverson, a noted regular casino patron, was spotted at Bally's Park Place in Atlantic City urinating in a trash can in full view of staff and patrons. He was told by casino management not to return.[4]
When the 2004 United States Olympic team gathered in Jacksonville, Florida for its first exhibition game, Allen Iverson was late. He was suspended for the game.[5]
2005
On December 9, 2005 after the Sixers defeated the Charlotte Bobcats, Iverson paid a late-night visit to the Trump Taj Mahal. After winning a hand at a three-card-stud poker table, Iverson was overpaid $10,000 in chips by a dealer. When the dealer quickly realized the mistake and requested the chips back, Iverson refused and a heated head-turning argument between him and casino staff began. Atlantic City casino regulations reportedly state that when a casino makes a payout mistake in favor of the gambler, he or she must return the money that they did not legitimately win by playing.
2006
On April 18, 2006 Iverson and Chris Webber arrived late to the Sixers' fan appreciation night and home game finale. Players are expected to report 90 minutes before gametime, but both Iverson and Webber arrived around tipoff. Exasperated coach Maurice Cheeks notified the media that neither would be playing and general manager Billy King announced that Iverson and Webber would be fined.[6]. The 2006 off-season has sparked many trade rumors that could send Allen to Denver, Atlanta, or Boston. No trade has been accepted and it appears that no deal will be made. Allen Iverson has made it clear that he would like to stay a Sixer.
On November 29, 2006 Iverson missed a corporate sponsor night at Lucky Strike Lanes in Philidelphia. All the 76ers besides Iverson attended this mandatory event. Iverson was fined by the Philedelphia 76ers for an undisclosed amount. Iverson claimed he overslept after taking medication for pain related to having two abscessed teeth pulled.
Rap music
In 2000, Iverson recorded a rap single named 40 Bars. However, after being criticized for its controversial lyrics, he eventually was unable to release it. Going under his moniker, "Jewels", the album was alleged to have made derogatory remarks about homosexuals.
Punk'd
On Ashton Kutcher's MTV show Punk'd, Iverson was initially denied entry into his own 30th birthday party at the Garden of Eden Club in Los Angeles by a bouncer who told him that he couldn't enter because one of the President's daughters and the Secret Service were inside the club. Iverson then played the same prank on Indiana Pacers Jermaine O'Neal.
NBA dress code
In 2005, NBA commissioner David Stern banned what critics and supporters call "hip-hop culture"-related attire such as Mitchell & Ness throwback jerseys, baggy jeans, crooked baseball caps, knee-length t-shirts, large items of jewelry, and Timberland boots. Punishment for violations would include fines and possible suspensions for repeat violations.
Iverson harshly criticized Stern's dress code, saying that it "would not change a person's character regardless of what type of clothing they wore", and that "associating hip-hop styles of dress with violent crime, drugs, or a bad image is racist." Iverson also said that the advertising of many prominent NBA sponsors, such as Nike, Reebok, Puma and Adidas were heavily influenced by hip-hop culture.
Trivia
- Married to high school sweetheart Tawanna Turner (since August 3, 2001) and the couple have four children: Tiaura (born 1995); Allen II (born 1998); Isaiah Rahsaan (born August 8, 2003); and Messiah Lauren (born August 16, 2005).
- Resides in the wealthy Philadelphia suburbs known as the Main Line.
- NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Brendan Gaughan was Iverson's college basketball teammate at Georgetown, and is considered one of Iverson's close friends.
- As a junior, Iverson quarterbacked Bethel High School's football team to the state championship title.
- His favorite song is "Unbelievable" by Notorious B.I.G.
- His favorite book is The Color Purple.
- He enjoys drawing in his spare time.
- Wears black/white tights (leggings) along with many other NBA players including Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant.
- Iverson appeared in the Video Games NBA Hangtime, NBA Jam Extreme, NBA Showtime: NBA on NBC and NBA Jam (2003).
- Wears a compression sleeve on his right arm during games due to right elbow tendinitis.
- His favorite actors are Samuel L. Jackson and Al Pacinohttp://www.nba.com/playerfile/allen_iverson/bio.html.
- Iverson now has an off-season home in Atlanta.
- Does not think he can help his teammates by practicing.
- Iverson was the first major client of New Jersey attorney-agent Leon Rose. He is also a confidant of William Wesley.
- His mom, Ann Iverson, is the owner of the Richmond, Virginia-based Richmond Warriors, a team of the American Basketball Association.
- Has joined Reebok's I Am What I Am campaign.
See also
- List of National Basketball Association players with 60 or more points in a game
External links
References
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