ALLEN IVERSON EARLY YEARS
Allen Iverson was born to his single 15-year old mother, Ann Iverson, in
Hampton, Virginia, and was given his mother's maiden name after his father Allen Broughton left her.
[3]
At
Bethel High School, Iverson started as quarterback for the school football team,
[4] and started as point guard for the school basketball team. Allen was able to lead both teams to state championships.
[5]
On February 14, 1993, Iverson and several of his friends became involved in an altercation with a group of white teenagers at the Circle Lanes
bowling alley in
Hampton, Virginia. Allegedly, Iverson's crowd was raucous and had to be asked to quiet down several times, and eventually a shouting duel began with another group of youths. 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 who are also
African-American, 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, a rarely used Virginia statute that was designed to combat
lynching.
[6] Iverson and his supporters maintained his innocence, claiming that he left the alley as soon as the trouble began. Iverson said, "For me to be in a bowling alley where everybody in the whole place know who I am and be crackin' people upside the head with chairs and think nothin' gonna happen? That's crazy! And what kind of a man would I be to hit a girl in the head with a damn chair? I rather have 'em say I hit a man with a chair, not no damn woman."
[7]
Iverson drew a 15-year prison sentence, with 10 years suspended. After Iverson spent four months at Newport News City Farm, a correctional facility in
Newport News, Virginia, he was granted clemency by Virginia Governor
Douglas Wilder, and the
Virginia Court of Appeals overturned the conviction in 1995 for insufficient evidence.
[7] This incident and its impact on the community is explored in the documentary film
No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson.
In spring 1994,
Georgetown basketball coach
John Thompson visited Iverson at Hampton's Bethel High School, and recruited him to play for the Hoyas.
[8]
At Georgetown, Iverson won the
Big East Rookie of the Year award, two Big East Defensive Player of the Year awards, and was named to the All Rookie Tournament 1st Team.
[9] He ended his college career as the Hoyas' all-time leader in career scoring average, at 23.0 ppg.
[10] While in school, Iverson learned his signature crossover from walk-on teammate Dean Berry and developed it in practices.
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(source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_Iverson)
