Honoring Iverson
Naming street for NBA legend should inspire future generations
Allen Iverson received a veritable mountain of trophies and accolades during his journey from multi-sport standout at Hampton’s Bethel High School to NBA superstar and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee.
But the tribute bestowed on him this week by Newport News, which renamed a portion of 16th Street in his honor in a ceremony attended by Gov. Glenn Youngkin, represents something different: an acknowledgment that people, and attitudes, can change.
Growing up, Iverson split time between the East End of Newport News and a home on Jordan Drive in Hampton before emerging as one of the most talented football and basketball players the Peninsula — or Virginia, for that matter — had ever seen.
Records fell and the legend grew. Colleges came calling. There was no ceiling for where his talent would take him.
Until the night of Feb. 14, 1993, when Iverson was involved in a fight between Black and white patrons at a Hampton bowling alley where a few people suffered minor injuries. The 18-year-old and three others were convicted of three felony counts of maiming by mob, and he was sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment, 10 of which were suspended.
The community splintered along racial
lines, with the Black community decrying the aggressive prosecution of the Black teens; the white patrons were not charged. They expressed resentment toward media’s coverage, which they said exacerbated that divide. Opinions about Iverson, especially among the white community, soured and it seemed his career was over before it started.
But as Iverson demonstrated night after night in the NBA, “quit” isn’t in his vocabulary. Gov. Doug Wilder commuted Iverson’s sentence after he served four months at the Newport News City Farm, which allowed him to finish high school.
He enrolled at Georgetown University, where he emerged as one of the nation’s most electrifying basketball players despite his 6-foot frame, before being drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers as the first pick in the 1996 NBA draft.
Again, numerous accolades followed. He was named 1997 Rookie of the Year, was an All-Star 11 times, and won the league’s most valuable player award in 2001 as he led the Sixers to the NBA Finals. He led the league in scoring four times, amassing more than 24,000 points in his 17-year-career, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016.
More than a basketball player, though, Iverson was a cultural phenomenon. Nicknamed “The Answer,” his tattoos and personal style announced the arrival of a new generation to the NBA, something that didn’t always sit well with league execs and button-down commentators.
The divisive opinions he inspired were amplified by off-the-court problems, including illegal gun possession, allegations of violence and domestic trouble. While his athletic prowess was undeniable, his flaws were also there for the world to see.
But his heart was never in question and his love for his hometown never wavered. His work with the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Hampton Roads showed his eagerness to help disadvantaged youth enjoy a brighter future.
“Y’all molded me; y’all helped me. I’m so proud of where I’m from. I just love representing Virginia,” Iverson said on Tuesday. “I dress like y’all, talk like y’all (and) walk like y’all walk. You know, I’m Virginian.”
When the Newport News City Council debated naming a portion of 16th Street from Wickham Avenue to Walnut Avenue as “Allen Iverson Way,” Councilwoman Pat Woodbury dissented, arguing that lionizing him would be “just horrible” given his transgressions.
But as Iverson’s achievements made him a stratospheric talent, his missteps showed him to be very human. His perseverance and determination are worthy of emulation, and the message that street sign sends — that greatness can blossom from hard work and humble beginnings — is more than worthy of amplification in the public square.
Newport News is justifiably proud of the man Iverson became. His growth, like that of a community once sharply divided about their homegrown superstar, is certainly worth celebrating.