The NickelSlick View

Allen Iverson...the Man & the Myth 360°

Posted by NickelSlick at 6:00 AM

  No player in recent memory has personified the term "hip-hop generation" better than Allen Iverson, tattoos, cornrows, and baseball caps tilted at a conceited angle, Allen Iverson ushered in a new breed of athlete; nonconformist, hip, brash and unapologetic.


  Allen Iverson represented the inner-city and its playgrounds where hoop dreams are either delivered or deferred, and on-court flashiness is often celebrated more than sound fundamentals. These elements, and that environment helped mold and shape the player that the world would come to know as "The Answer"........







  Born in 1975 in a poverty stricken slum in the deep south, to a 15 yr old mother with an unbroken hymen the baby Iverson was immaculately conceived, but for legal reasons Allen Broughton was named the father on the birth certificate. A young Iverson suffered many nights without water, lights, heat, or food, a ruptured sewer-line underneath the home on Jordan drive would often overflow seeping into the floor forcing the family to wade knee-deep in raw sewage. During one violent summer Iverson witnessed almost 10 of his friends murdered including his closest friend. The hunger-pangs that gnawed at his empty stomach forced him to play basketball for "bread & meat", and if he didn't win he didn't eat.  One story told on the project playgrounds is of a local drug-dealer promising the young Iverson two dollars for every consecutive shot he made, Iverson dropped 54 straight shots before the streetlights went out making it almost impossible to see the basket and then drained another 27 before a gust of wind stopped his streak at 81, the amazed onlookers watched in silence as the stunned drug-dealer handed the hungry Iverson 300 dollars and a solid gold watch that barley fit his wrist.





As a junior in High School the teen Iverson led his football team to a state championship while playing quarterback and barely dodged becoming another statistic when he was accused of smashing a chair over the head of a white woman during a bowling alley brawl that was reported to be instigated by racial taunts at Iverson and his friends by a mob of white bowlers, he was eventually convicted by an all-white jury of "maiming by mob" and sentenced to 15 years of which he spent 4 months before being pardoned by the governor of Virginia and having his conviction overturned by a Virginia court in 1995.





Taking full advantage of his new-found freedom Iverson snatched up a high-school diploma through an accelerated program and was awarded a scholarship to Georgetown's storied program where he averaged 23 points, won defensive player of the year twice, set season records for steals and led his team to the regional finals of the NCAA tournament.

  After two seasons at Georgetown, Allen Iverson became the first player in Georgetown's history to leave school early and enter the N.B.A draft, he became the #1 pick for the Philadelphia 76er's were he went on to become the N.B.A rookie of the year, the Hip-Hop ambassador prepped the league for the beginning of an era.


The era officially exploded in 1996 when the rookie Iverson and his Philadelphia 76rs were playing Michael Jordans Chicago Bulls. A fearless Iverson caught Jordan gaurding him alone at the top of the key and embarassed him with two vicious crossover dribbles that twisted the aging Jordan's ankles so badly he cried out in pain and nearly toppled to the floor while a smirking Iverson drained a 20 footer that snapped the net so hard that it nearly burst the eardrums of the amazed players gawking beneath the basket.




  The house-negro's, uncle-Tom's, and yassah-bossa's who's every move was a blatant attempt to please and appease their corporate "massah's" were utterly horrified and immediately attacked the youngster in order to receive pats on the head, and table scraps from their"owners", but   at 5'10 175 lb's  the undersized Iverson remained unfazed and fearless on and off the court, infuriating his detractors to the point of distraction.

In his 14 seasons of professional basketball Allen Iverson's accolades and awards reads like this: NBA Most Valuable player (2001), NBA rookie of the year (1997), 10x N.B.A All-star (2000-2009), 4x N.B.A scoring champ (1999, 2000, 2002, 2005), 3x All-N.B.A team (1999, 2002, 2005), 3x All N.B.A All second team (2000, 2002, 2003), All N.B.A third team (2006).

He also led his Philadelphia 76er's to a N.B.A finals and won a Gold and Bronze medal respectively in the Olympics, but in spite of his greatness Iverson has yet to find much success in the playoffs and a championship has eluded him his entire career. After unsuccessful stints in Denver, and Detroit, the 34 year old Iverson landed in Memphis where he refused to play off the bench behind a teammate of lesser skill and experience and announced his retirement and left the team after playing only 3 games. It seemed as if the all-star had played his last game.

After two weeks in limbo, Allen Iverson reunited with the Philadelphia 76er's the team that drafted him and in a tear-soaked press-conference he stated his appreciation to the organization and the fans.


On the eve of his return rouge rferee Tim Donaghy admitted how many referee's blatantly targeted Iverson due to their personal dislike for him the distraction was short lived and  On 12/07/2009 he gave his fans an 11 point, 5 rebound, 6 assisst game in which he kissed the logo, bowed to the crowd, and danced with his teammates before losing to his former team the Denver Nuggets.


A storied career has come full circle, and Allen " The Answer" Iverson still has some gas in the tank to entertain us and irritate us.

   

Labels: Allen Iverson, Sports