Written
up by the webmaster@allen Iverson Platinum.
G
R O W I N G - U P - F O R - A I # 3
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Allen grew up in the projects as the son of a 15-year old single
mother. Their house in Hampton, Virginia lay on top of the city's
sewers. Whenever they burst, the floor would be coated with sewage.
Iverson's biological father who stayed in Connecticut (where the
family lived before Allen was born), never played any role in
his life, and earlier this year, pledged guilty to stabbing a
former girlfriend. Shortly after being born his maternal grandmother
- often the pillar in an inner-city family - passed away as well.
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D
E A R - M O M M A
Mom Ann had a hard time making ends meet, and the house was often
without water or electricity because of unpaid bills. "She
did whatever she had to do," Allen explains, while refusing
to elaborate on that cryptic statement. Growing up, Iverson was
often responsible for taking care of his younger sisters Brandy
(born 1979) and Iiesha (1991), which was especially difficult
with the toddler, who suffered frequent seizures. Mounting medical
bills pushed the family further in debt. Ann's boyfriend, Allen's
de facto father, Michael Freeman has been in and out of jail all
of his life. After a car accident got him unemployed once again
in 1991, desperate for money Freeman was caught and convicted
for drug possesion with intent to distribute. "I didn't buy
cadillacs and diamond rings," Freeman explains, "I was
payin' bills." Iverson used to blame the man who taught him
how to play basketball and pushed him to excel at it. Today he's
proud of Freeman. "He never robbed nobody," said Allen.
"He was just tryin' to feed his family. It would kill him
to come from jail and find out how his family was living. One
time he came home and just sat down and cried." Today he's
serving time in the same Virginia jail where Allen was sent in
1993. Allen said one time he went to visit Freeman in Newport
News Correctional Facilities, the same prison he was incarcerated
at , And Freeman Shoes were so damaged that Allen took the shoes
off his feet and gave them to Micheal and Allen went home barefooted
that day.
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THE
BEGINNING OF A THUGSTAZ ERA
Iverson's mom early saw Allen's basketball skills as a ticket
to get out of the projects and live a normal life. She encouraged
Allen to keep playing the game he loved so much.. Every time his
mother saw him to lose heart she told him "go till the end
every time u see the chance".
Despite his rather short and slim body, Allen was never afraid
of challenging bigger guys on the court. At first, when Iverson
started playing ball he was about 9-10 years old. He never wanted
to play ball-he thought it was too soft. One day, his mum waited
for Allen to come home from school - she had bought a pair of
Jordan sneakers. "You're going to basketball practise today",
she said. Iverson cried and didn't want to go, but his mom made
him go. Finally at the court, Allen met some of his football-teammates
and enjoyed the new game. Iverson recalls from his childhood:"Coming
home, no lights, no food, sometimes no water. Then when there
was water, no hot water. Living in a house where the sewer was
busted under the house and having to watch my sister walk around
in her socks all day because the floor was wet from the sewage.
The smell was making my sister sick." Many NBA players grew
up in broken homes and tough neighbourhoods and were driven to
play basketball with one hope: escape the ghetto.
Few
had it as bad as him, though.
Being young Iverson had two role models. His mom and Tony Clark.
Here's what Allen has to say about his relationship to Tony: "There
was this guy, Tony Clark, and he meant everything to me. He inspired
me, somewhat like my mom. He was someone who always told me I
could do something with my life. He made me believe I could do
it and, see, I never had a role model in my life. I never looked
up to no one but my mom. She always told me I could be somebody
and I could do something with my life with the talent God gave
me, and I always believed it. It was the same with Tony. See,
when I skipped school, I'd come hang out with him. He was six,
seven years older than me. He'd tell my mom what was going on
and my mom would come get me, and I used to cry and scream at
him and tell him I hated him. But he was always doing it because
he loved me and cared about me. And then to lose him, it was wild.
I was like his little man and he used to look out for me, and
he even stayed with us for like two years, off and on. He was
just going through a lot of things with his family and his girlfriend.
And then his girlfriend killed him. I was 15, and I had no more
role model, man. Who replaced Tony? One of the guys I deal with
right now. Andre Steele. Andre's 27 or 28 right now, and he really
looked out for me back then."
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