NBA players are often judged based on what they achieve at the highest level and how they behave while doing so. Many are expected to be perfect role models, an unreasonable expectation from people who are normal folk beyond their skill with a basketball. And often, these players come from really difficult backgrounds themselves, having dealt with issues that most people wouldn’t even dream of.
Allen Iverson was roundly criticized during his time in the NBA as a player that played only for himself, someone that was a wildcard. He was questioned at every turn, and many hated him for being himself, although his personality fundamentally changed the league. But what a lot of people don’t know the details of is how tough Iverson had it when he was a child.
Allen Iverson Had To Play Basketball For Money As A Child At Times To Be Able To Afford Meals
Iverson was born to a single mother, Ann Iverson, who was just 15 years old when she gave birth to him. This was a difficult situation in many ways, compounded by the fact that after his biological father wasn’t involved, his mother’s boyfriend also spent a lot of time in and out of prison. The poverty he grew up in was documented by ESPN when The Answer was still in the league, and it has some harrowing details.
“On June 7, 1975, in Hampton, Va., Iverson was born into circumstances few would envy. His mother, Ann, was 15 and unmarried when she gave birth. His biological father, Allen Broughton, was not involved in his upbringing at all.
“After graduating from high school, Ann held a multitude of jobs — she worked on an Avon Fashions assembly line and at a clothes packaging and distribution factory — but was unemployed sometimes as well. Ann and Allen’s apartment in the Hampton projects had been built on top of the city’s sewage system, and whenever the pipes burst, the home’s floor would flood with sewage and stench.”
And dealing with this situation meant that Iverson himself had to find ways to provide for himself, including playing basketball for money.
“As a boy, Iverson played basketball for money. Sometimes, if he didn’t win, he didn’t eat. ‘There were times when Allen never knew where his next meal was going to be,’ said Mike Bailey, Iverson’s basketball coach at Bethel High School in Hampton. ‘Here’s a kid who couldn’t take a bath because he had no running water because it had been turned off.'”
For AI to come out of this situation and become one of the all-time greats is an incredibly inspirational story. His mother played a huge role in it, too, she would find ways to support his basketball dream even at the cost of necessities. His story is an excellent reminder to not be very judgmental about players in the league.
