Allen Iverson

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Iverson was born in Hampton, Virginia, to a single 15-year-old mother, Ann Iverson. His father, Allen Broughton, was not involved in raising him. During his early childhood years in Hampton, Iverson was given the nickname 'Bubba Chuck'. He attended Bethel High School in Hampton, Virginia, and was a dual-sport athlete. He earned the Associated Press High School Player of the Year award in both football and basketball, and won the Division 5 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 (23.0 points per game) and won the Big East Defensive Player of the Year award both years. Following two successful years at Georgetown University, Iverson declared eligibility for the 1996 NBA draft, and was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the first overall pick.

In Their Own Story

In January 2013, Simmons moved to the U.S. to attend Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida. In April 2013, he helped Montverde rally from a 16-point deficit to beat St Benedict's 67–65 in the High School National Tournament final. After competing in the Jordan Brand Classic International Game, he returned to Melbourne and joined the Bulleen Boomers of the Big V competition in June 2013. On 14 October 2013, he committed to LSU over Kentucky, Kansas, and Duke. In his junior season, he averaged 18.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game, shooting 69 percent from the field and 77 percent from the free throw line, with 88 blocks. Montverde finished 28–0, closing with a 71–62 win over Oak Hill Academy at Madison Square Garden, where Simmons had 24 points and 12 rebounds and earned MVP honors.

Reader's Guide

Iverson was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in the 1996–97 season. A four-time scoring champion, winning the NBA scoring title during the 1998–99, 2000–01, 2001–02, and 2004–05 seasons. He was also the NBA Most Valuable Player of the 2000–01 season, 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. Later in his career, Iverson played for the Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, and the Memphis Grizzlies, before ending his NBA career with the 76ers during the 2009–10 season. He finished his career in Turkey with Beşiktaş in 2011. He returned as a player-coach for 3's Company in the inaugural season of the BIG3.

Did You Know?

• Iverson was the shortest first overall pick in NBA history, listed at 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m).
• His regular season career scoring average of 26.7 points per game ranks seventh all-time.
• His playoff career scoring average of 29.7 points per game trails only Michael Jordan and Luka Dončić.
• Iverson was convicted as a juvenile of maiming by mob in 1993, but the conviction was overturned in 1995 for insufficient evidence.
• He was rated the fifth-greatest NBA shooting guard of all time by ESPN in 2008.