Allen Iverson "THE ANSWER"

He goes by the nickname THE ANSWER; Allen Ezail Iverson was a professional retired American basketball player where he plays for fourteen seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) at both the shooting guard and point guard positions. Allen was an eleven-time NBA All-Star, He clinches the All-Star game MVP award in 2001 and 2005, and he further becomes the NBA's Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 2001. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016.

Allen during his growing days attended the Bethel High School in Hampton, Virginia, where he was a double-sport athlete. He earned the Associated Press High School Player of the Year award in both football and basketball, and won the Division AAA Virginia state championship in both sports. After high school, Iverson played college basketball with the Georgetown Hoyas for two years, where he set the school record for career scoring average (22.9 points per game) and won Big East Defensive Player of the Year awards both years.

With the tremendous achievement Allen obtained from his two successful seasons at the Georgetown, He was given a nod for the 1996 NBA draft and was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the first overall pick. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in the 1996–97 seasons. Winning the NBA scoring title during the 1998–99, 2000–01, 2001–02, and 2004–05 seasons, Iverson was one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history, despite his relatively small stature (listed at 6 feet, 0 inches). His regular season career scoring average of 26.7 points per game ranks seventh all-time, and his playoff career scoring average of 29.7 points per game is second only to Michael Jordan. Iverson was also the NBA Most Valuable Player of the 2000–01 seasons and led his team to the 2001 NBA Finals the same season. Iverson represented the United States at the 2004 Summer Olympics, winning the bronze medal.

Early life

Allen Iverson was born on June 7, 1975 in Hampton, Virginia to a single 15-year-old mother, Ann Iverson, and was given his mother's maiden name after his father Allen Broughton left her. He grew up in the projects of Hampton, Virginia where drugs and crime were the social norms. During his early childhood years, he was loved by the neighborhood kids and was given the nickname "Bubba Chuck." A childhood friend, Jaime Rogers, said that Iverson would always look out for the younger kids and that "He could teach anybody." At the age of thirteen his father figure in his life, Michael Freeman, was arrested in front of him for dealing drugs. He then failed the eighth grade because of absences and moved to Hampton, Virginia to get out of the projects. He attended Bethel High School, where he started as quarterback for the school football team, while also playing running back, kick returner, and defensive back. He also started at point guard for the school basketball team. During his junior year, Iverson was able to lead both teams to Virginia state championships, as well as earning The Associated Press High School Player of the Year award in both sports.

College basketball

In his first season at Georgetown in 1994–95, 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 lost to North Carolina.

In his second and final season at Georgetown in 1995–96, Iverson led the team to a Big East championship and all the way to the Elite 8 round of the NCAA tournament, where they lost to Massachusetts. He ended his college career as the Hoyas' all-time leader in career scoring average, at 22.9 points per game.  Iverson was named as a First Team All American.

Following the conclusion of his sophomore year, Iverson declared for the 1996 NBA draft. He was the first player under Coach Thompson to leave Georgetown early for the NBA.

Professional career (1996–2011)

Philadelphia 76ers (1996–2006)

Early years (1996–2000)

Iverson was selected first overall in 1996

After two seasons at Georgetown, Iverson was selected first overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1996 NBA draft. Listed at 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) tall, he became the shortest first overall pick ever, in a league normally dominated by taller players.

Career statistics

NBA statistics

Legend

  GP        Games played      GS        Games started    MPG     Minutes per game

 FG%      Field goal percentage      3P%      3-point field goal percentage       FT%       Free throw percentage

RPG        Rebounds per game         APG      Assists per game                SPG       Steals per game

BPG       Blocks per game                PPG       Points per game                 Bold      Career high

*             Led the league

Also in 2005, Iverson's bodyguard Jason Kane was accused of assaulting a man at a Washington, D. C. nightclub after the man, Marlin Godfrey, refused to leave the club's VIP section so Iverson's entourage could enter. Godfrey suffered a concussion, a ruptured eardrum, a burst blood vessel in his eye, a torn rotator cuff, cuts and bruises, and emotional distress. Although Iverson did not touch Godfrey himself, Godfrey sued Iverson for the injuries caused by his bodyguard. In 2007 a jury awarded Godfrey $260,000. The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld the verdict in 2009.

On March 2, 2010, Iverson's wife filed for divorce, seeking custody of their five children, as well as child support and alimony payments.

In August 2011, an Ohio man sued Iverson for $2.5 million in damages, claiming Iverson's security guard assaulted him in a 2009 bar fight in Detroit. The federal judge dismissed the case, finding no evidence that Iverson or his bodyguard struck the plaintiff, Guy Walker.

On May 14, 2015, Iverson appeared on CBS This Morning in support of a Showtime Network documentary on his life, Iverson, during which he addressed long-discussed rumors of financial struggles, denying any notion that he was struggling. "That's a myth. That's a rumor... The fact that I'm struggling in any part of my life", he said.

Awards and honors

Main article: List of career achievements by Allen Iverson

   Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

        Class of 2016 – Individual [109]

    NBA Most Valuable Player (2001)

    4× NBA scoring champion

    11× NBA All-Star

    2× NBA All-Star Game MVP

    7× All-NBA

    3× NBA steals leader

    NBA Rookie of the Year (1997)

    No. 3 retired by the Philadelphia 76ers

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