College, Life

Though Georgetown typically recruited defensive-oriented big men such as Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, and Iverson's future teammate Dikembe Mutombo with full scholarships, Coach John Thompson felt Iverson deserved a second chance after his time in prison and could not pass up the opportunity to recruit a talent like Iverson's. Iverson kept up the Georgetown tradition of defense by averaging three steals per game and winning the Big East Defensive Player of the Year award in both of his two years at the University. In his first season at Georgetown,Allen Iverson won the “Big East Rookie of the Year” award and was named to the All Rookie Tournament First Team. That season, Iverson led the Hoyas to the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament, where they would lose to North Carolina. In his second (and final) season at Georgetown, Iverson would lead the team to a Big East Championship and all the way to the Elite 8 round of the NCAA tournament, where they would lose to the University of Massachusetts. He ended his college career as the Hoyas' all-time leader in career scoring average, at 22.9 points per game. Iverson would be named as a First Team All American. Following the conclusion of his sophomore year, Iverson declared for the NBA Draft. He would be the first player to leave Georgetown early for the NBA under Coach Thompson. 

Childhood, High School

Iverson attended Bethel High School in Hampton, Virginia. In 1991, as a junior, Iverson quarterbacked the school's football team to the state championship. Also in his junior year he averaged 31.6 PPG on the basketball court, and led Bethel to the 1992 state championship in that sport. The next year his prep career came to a screeching halt. On February 14, 1993, Iverson and several of his friends became involved in an altercation with a group of white teenagers at a Hampton bowling alley. Allen's crowd was raucous and was asked to quiet down several times. Eventually something of a shouting match erupted with another group of youths (all of whom were white). Shortly thereafter a huge fight erupted, pitting the white crowd against the blacks. During the fight, Iverson allegedly struck a woman in the head with a chair. He, along with three of his friends (also African-Americans) were the only people arrested. Iverson, who was 17 at the time, was convicted as an adult of the felony charge of "maiming-by-mob". Iverson and his supporters maintained his innocence, claiming that he had left the alley as soon as the trouble began. This incident was profiled on the CBS television news magazine 60 Minutes due to claims of racial bias in the adjudication of the case. Douglas Wilder, Governor of Virginia, became convinced that Iverson had been treated unfairly and granted Iverson clemency, releasing him from his sentence. Iverson's conviction was later overturned on appeal.

Childhood, Early Life

 Allen Iverson was born on June 7, 1975 in Hampton, Virginia. His mother, Ann Iverson, was fifteen years old when her son was born. Iverson's father, Allen Broughton, never had much contact with his son. Iverson's childhood was filled with constant hardship. As an infant he and his mother depended on his maternal grandmother, but soon after his birth she died from complications after surgery. Michael Freeman, who moved in with the family when Iverson was young, served as Iverson's father and taught him the game of basketball. But Freeman moved in and out of jail after a work-related accident caused him to lose his job, and he turned to distributing illegal drugs. Iverson and his two half-sisters lived with his mother in a poverty-stricken neighborhood of Hampton. When his mother couldn't afford to pay the bills, the family would go without water, lights, and heat. A ruptured sewer line under the house filled it with a noxious smell and would sometimes seep onto the floor. Iverson spent his childhood dreaming of making things better for his family, but everything around him pulled him back into the ghetto. Despite poor school attendance, frequent confrontations with teachers, and troubles at home, Iverson kept it together just enough to be eligible to participate in sports. Football was his first love. As quarterback at Bethel High School, Iverson, nicknamed Bubbachuck by his friends, led the team to the state Class AAA football title in 1992. Only after his mother supported  him did Iverson agree to attempt to play basketball, and the game soon replaced football as his favorite sport.

Introduction

One of the most controversial Basketball players of all time, Allen Iverson is one of the most loved and hated figures in Basketball. Born Allen Ezail Iverson in Hampton, Virginia, he grew up very poor to a struggling mother and a father who abandoned him. Growing up, he was very athletic, playing football and basketball throughout most of his education prior to college. Iverson began focusing on basketball at his mother's insistence, despite wanting to be a football player. He proved to be a talented basketball player. At Bethel High School in Newport News, he began his high school basketball career. He developed a reputation of talking a lot and being un-coachable. To say he had a rough childhood is quite an understatement. On one of his places of residence, he walked through knee-deep sewage daily just to get to school. In just one summer, he was a witness to the death of almost ten of his best friends.Allen Iverson first came to the national spotlight in 1993 in a controversial incident surrounding violent events at a bowling alley in Newport News. He married his high school sweetheart Tawanna Turner and they have two children together. He could hustle the ball, could get around even the tallest players. He became known for his fast drives to the baskets and his ability to fake the ball in a move called the crossover. He currently plays overseas in Turkey for the Euro League. He has a clothing line and is also a successful business man.