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.