Allen Iverson facts for kids
.jpg)
Iverson with the Detroit Pistons in 2008
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | June 7, 1975 Hampton, Virginia, U.S. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| High school | Bethel (Hampton, Virginia) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 165 lb (75 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College | Georgetown (1994–1996) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 1996 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Selected by the Philadelphia 76ers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1996–2011 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–2006 | Philadelphia 76ers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2008 | Denver Nuggets | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | Detroit Pistons | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | Memphis Grizzlies | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | Philadelphia 76ers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Beşiktaş | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Points | 24,368 (26.7 ppg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 3,394 (3.7 rpg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assists | 5,624 (6.2 apg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Medals
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Allen Ezail Iverson (eye-VƏR-sən; born June 7, 1975) is a former professional basketball player from America. People called him "The Answer" because he was so good. He played for 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as both a shooting guard and point guard.
Iverson was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 1997 when he played for the Philadelphia 76ers. He was an 11-time NBA All-Star and won the All-Star Game MVP Award twice. In 2001, he was the NBA's Most Valuable Player (MVP). He joined the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016. In 2021, he was chosen for the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, which honors the best players in NBA history. Many consider Iverson one of the greatest scorers and ball handlers in basketball.
Iverson went to Bethel High School in Hampton, Virginia. He was amazing at both football and basketball. He won the High School Player of the Year award in both sports. He also led his teams to state championships. After high school, Iverson played college basketball for the Georgetown Hoyas for two years. He set a school record for points per game and won the Big East Defensive Player of the Year award twice.
After college, Iverson was the very first player picked in the 1996 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. He was named NBA Rookie of the Year in his first season. Iverson led the league in scoring four times, showing he was one of the best scorers ever, even though he was shorter than many players at 6 feet tall. His average of 26.7 points per game in the regular season is one of the highest in NBA history. He also led his team to the 2001 NBA Finals in 2001. Iverson played for the United States at the 2004 Summer Olympics and won a bronze medal.
Later in his career, Iverson played for the Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, and Memphis Grizzlies. He finished his NBA career back with the 76ers. In 2008, ESPN called him the fifth-greatest NBA shooting guard of all time. He played his last professional basketball games in Turkey for Beşiktaş in 2011. He later became a player-coach for 3's Company in the BIG3 league.
Contents
Early Life and High School Success
Allen Iverson was born in Hampton, Virginia, on June 7, 1975. His mother, Ann Iverson, was 15 years old when he was born. As a child, he was known as "Bubba Chuck." Friends remember him as someone who always looked out for younger kids.
He attended Bethel High School. There, he was the starting quarterback for the football team and also played running back, kick returner, and defensive back. He was also the starting point guard for the basketball team. In his junior year, Iverson led both his football and basketball teams to Virginia state championships. He was named the Associated Press High School Player of the Year in both sports.
Iverson also played for the "Boo" Williams-led AAU basketball team. They won the 1992 17-and-under AAU national championship. Iverson has said that Boo Williams was his most inspiring coach.
College Basketball Journey
After high school, Iverson received a full scholarship to play for the Georgetown University basketball team. He played for the Georgetown Hoyas for two seasons.
In his first season (1994–95), Iverson was named the Big East Conference Men's Basketball Rookie of the Year. He helped the Hoyas reach the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament. He averaged 20.4 points per game that season.
In his second and final season (1995–96), Iverson led Georgetown to a Big East championship. They made it to the Elite Eight round of the NCAA tournament. He finished his college career as Georgetown's all-time leader in scoring average, with 22.9 points per game. Iverson was also named the Big East Conference Men's Basketball Defensive Player of the Year in both of his seasons at Georgetown. After his sophomore year, he decided to enter the NBA draft.
Professional Basketball Career
Starting with the Philadelphia 76ers (1996–2006)
In the 1996 NBA draft, the Philadelphia 76ers chose Allen Iverson as the first overall pick. At 6 feet tall, he was the shortest player ever picked first in the NBA draft. The 76ers had a tough season before Iverson joined, winning only 18 games.
In his first NBA game, Iverson scored 30 points. He quickly showed his talent, scoring 37 points against the famous Chicago Bulls team, even crossing over Michael Jordan. He broke a rookie record by scoring at least 40 points in five straight games. He averaged 23.5 points, 7.5 assists, and 2.1 steals per game, earning him the NBA Rookie of the Year award.
With new teammates and coach Larry Brown, the 76ers improved. Iverson signed a big contract extension in 1999. In the shortened 1998–99 season, he led the league in scoring with 26.8 points per game. This was his first scoring title, and he made his first All-NBA First Team. He led the 76ers to the playoffs, where they won a series before being eliminated.
Iverson continued to lead the 76ers to the playoffs in the 1999–2000 season. He was chosen for the Eastern Conference All-Star team, the first of 11 straight selections.
MVP Season and NBA Finals (2000–2001)
The 2000–01 NBA season was amazing for Iverson and the 76ers. They started with a record of 10 wins and no losses. Iverson was a starter in the 2001 NBA All-Star Game and won the MVP award for that game. The 76ers finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference.
Iverson averaged a career-high 31.1 points, winning his second NBA scoring title. He also led the league in steals. Iverson was named NBA Most Valuable Player, becoming the shortest and lightest player to win the award. Other teammates and the coach also won awards, helping the team succeed.
In the playoffs, Iverson led the 76ers past the Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors, and Milwaukee Bucks. This brought them to the 2001 NBA Finals against the powerful Los Angeles Lakers, led by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal.
In Game 1 of the Finals, Iverson scored 48 points, leading the 76ers to a surprising win. This was the Lakers' only playoff loss that year. He famously stepped over Tyronn Lue after making a key shot. Although the Lakers won the series, Iverson's performance was incredible. This was his most successful season.
During this season, Iverson started wearing a basketball sleeve on his arm because of an elbow injury. Other players and fans started wearing them too, making it a fashion trend.
Later Years with the 76ers (2001–2006)
After their Finals trip, the 76ers faced injuries in the 2001–2002 season. Iverson still averaged 31.4 points, winning his second straight scoring title. However, they lost in the first round of the playoffs. After this, Iverson had a famous moment where he talked about the importance of "practice."
In the 2002–2003 season, Iverson continued to score a lot of points. The 76ers made the playoffs and won their first-round series. They were then eliminated by the Detroit Pistons. Coach Larry Brown left the 76ers in 2003, but he and Iverson remained good friends. Iverson later said Brown was "the best coach in the world."
Iverson signed a new contract in 2003. The 2003–2004 season was tough, with Iverson missing many games due to injuries. The team missed the playoffs for the first time in a while.
In the 2004–05 NBA season, Iverson and the 76ers improved. He won his fourth NBA scoring title with 31 points per game and averaged 8 assists. The team returned to the playoffs but lost to the Detroit Pistons.
In the 2005–06 NBA season, Iverson averaged a career-high 33.0 points per game. However, the 76ers missed the playoffs again. In 2006, Iverson was traded from the 76ers after 10 years. He left as the team's highest scorer per game in history.
Playing for Other Teams (2006–2010)
On December 19, 2006, Iverson was traded to the Denver Nuggets. He joined forces with Carmelo Anthony, who was the NBA's leading scorer at the time. Iverson made his debut for the Nuggets a few days later, scoring 22 points and getting 10 assists.
In his first year with the Nuggets, they made the playoffs but lost in the first round. Iverson returned to Philadelphia in 2008 to a huge welcome from the fans.
In November 2008, Iverson was traded to the Detroit Pistons. He wore number 1 for the Pistons. He played well at first, but later saw less playing time. In April 2009, it was announced that Iverson would not play for the rest of the season due to a back injury.
In September 2009, Iverson signed with the Memphis Grizzlies. He said he felt Memphis was committed to winning. However, he was not happy being a bench player and left the team in November 2009. He played only three games for the Grizzlies.
Return to the 76ers (2009–2010)
In November 2009, Iverson announced he was thinking about retiring. But soon after, he met with the Philadelphia 76ers about returning to his old team. He accepted a contract offer. The team needed him because their starting guard was injured.
On December 7, 2009, Iverson made his emotional return to Philadelphia. The crowd gave him a huge cheer. He scored 11 points and had 6 assists in his first game back. His first win came a week later, helping the Sixers end a 12-game losing streak. He was voted as a starter for the 2010 NBA All-Star Game, his 11th straight selection.
In February 2010, Iverson left the 76ers indefinitely to take care of his daughter Messiah's health issues. He later shared that she had Kawasaki disease. He did not return for the rest of the season. His last NBA game was on February 20, 2010.
Playing in Turkey (2010–2011)
In October 2010, Iverson agreed to play for Beşiktaş, a Turkish basketball team. He wore jersey number 4. He made his debut in November 2010, scoring 15 points.
Iverson returned to the United States in January 2011 for surgery on his calf. He played only ten games for Beşiktaş that season. He did not play professional basketball after that.
Retirement and Legacy
In January 2013, Iverson received an offer to play in the NBA D-League, but he turned it down. On October 30, 2013, Iverson officially announced his retirement from basketball. He said he had lost his desire to play. At the 76ers' home opener that night, he received a standing ovation. He said he would always be a Sixer "until I die."
In March 2014, the 76ers officially retired Iverson's number 3 jersey in a special ceremony. Many famous 76ers players and fans were there. In 2016, Iverson was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He thanked his coaches, John Thompson and Larry Brown, for their help in his Hall of Fame career.
In 2017, Iverson became a player and coach for 3's Company in the new 3-on-3 professional basketball league called BIG3. He explained that his role as a player would not be like his old days, focusing more on coaching.
Iverson is known for changing NBA culture. He helped make cornrow hairstyles popular and connected rap music with basketball. He was also one of the first athletes to show off non-ceremonial tattoos in popular culture. In 2024, the 76ers put up a statue of Iverson outside their practice building. The city of Newport News named a street "Allen Iverson Way" to honor him. The governor of Virginia even declared March 5 to be Allen Iverson Day.
In 2015, the singer Post Malone released a song called "White Iverson". The song became very popular, getting over a billion streams on Spotify and a billion views on YouTube. Iverson said he was honored to be a part of the song.
Personal Life
Iverson has three younger half-siblings: Brandy, Ieisha, and Mister.
He started dating his high school sweetheart, Tawanna Turner, when they were 16. They later married and have five children: Tiaura, Allen II, Isaiah, Messiah, and Dream. In 2010, Tawanna filed for divorce, but they got back together after it was finalized in 2013.
Iverson's cousin, Kuran Iverson, is also a basketball player.
In 2015, Iverson appeared on a TV show and said that rumors about him struggling financially were not true. He said, "That's a myth. That's a rumor... The fact that I'm struggling in any part of my life."
In October 2023, Iverson was named Reebok's Vice President of Basketball. Shaquille O'Neal was named President of Basketball.
Iverson is a fan of football quarterback Josh Allen. Iverson even appeared in a fun video for the Buffalo Bills' 2025 schedule release.
Accolades and Honors
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- Class of 2016 – Individual
- 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
Filmography
- Like Mike (2002) – as himself
- Imagine That (2009) – as himself
- My Other Home (2017)
- Hustle (2022) as himself
See also
In Spanish: Allen Iverson para niños
- List of NBA career scoring leaders
- List of NBA career free throw scoring leaders
- List of NBA career assists leaders
- List of NBA career steals leaders
- List of NBA career turnovers leaders
- List of NBA single-game scoring leaders
- List of NBA single-game steals leaders
- List of NBA single-game playoff scoring leaders
- List of NBA annual scoring leaders
- List of NBA annual minutes leaders
- List of NBA rookie single-season scoring leaders
Images for kids
-
Iverson during an October 2006 game against Barcelona
-
Iverson and rap star Nelly at a Reebok photoshoot in September 2007
