Allen Iverson was not necessarily a basketball player that many were fans of at the time, but there is a level of appreciation for who he was as a person and the trials and tribulations he experienced to get to where he was.
The man who would become “The Answer” later in his career, almost never graced fans with his presence. A two-sport athlete from Virginia, Iverson was named AP Player of the Year in both football and basketball in high school.
Despite his successes on the gridiron and hardwood, or possibly because of it, he was target by local law enforcement and even sentenced to 15 years in prison after a fairly benign bowling alley fisticuffs. Thankfully logic (or bad PR) prevailed and Iverson was granted clemency by the Governor of Virginia.
He was so popular as a prep athlete that some even claim that the character of Kyle Watson from Above the Rim is loosely based upon him. The film centers around a young black point guard navigating inner-city politics, a fatherless home, and drugs all while enduring the recruiting process of major college basketball programs. The film is also an ode to legendary Georgetown head coach John Thompson, who had the guts to take chances on young black men in poor situations like he did with Iverson.
One of the most interesting things about Iverson was his resiliency. The things he was forced to endure prior to ever even getting to the D-1 level may have led others to fold, he persevered. He led a LOADED Georgetown team to the sweet 16 as a freshman, averaging 20 points per game. It should be noted that the team that Georgetown lost to was North Carolina, the alma-mater of Kyle Watson’s nemesis, Eric Montross, in Above the Rim.
Iverson returned for his sophomore season, improving his statistics across the board and providing fans with legendary college matchups against notable stars Stephon Marbury, Kerry Kittles, Miles Simon, Ray Allen, Charles Smith, and Marcus Camby. The Hoyas earned a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament but were again bounced in the sweet 16.
Iverson went on to be the #1 pick in the legendary 1996 NBA draft. He went on to be an 11x All-Star, 4x scoring champs and 2x MVP.