NBA legend Allen Iverson's 15 year prison sentence handed to him at just 17 years old

Allen Iverson is considered one of the greatest pound-for-pound NBA players of all time, overcoming his relatively modest height to dominate a sport usually filled with giants.

Iverson's athleticism, slick handles and unguardable crossovers made him a part of the sporting zeitgeist like almost no other in the early 2000s. His style of play was copied by every kid on every basketball court across the country.

The former guard had plenty of ups and downs during his career, and now he aims to unveil his most personal story yet in a documentary called 'WRONG BALL: The Allen Iverson Way'.

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Iverson earned the nickname 'The Answer' after leading the Philadelphia 76ers with his exceptional talents on the court—even taking them to the NBA finals.

In 1993, three years before being selected by the Sixers, as the first overall pick in the NBA Draft and at just 17 years old, the talented player from Hampton, Virginia, was tried and sentenced to 15 years in prison with 10 years suspended following a major altercation involving another young individual. The incident could've ended his brilliant career before it even began.

The events shown in the documentary 'No Crossover' (2010), took place on February 14th, at a bowling alley in Hampton. Iverson was there with several of his friends and teammates from Bethel High School, and they ended up in a full-blown brawl with another group of white youths.

According to the player's statements, the altercation involved men from Poquoson, a town with a long history of racism, who ended up in a brawl with the group Iverson was with. The fight resulted in a woman being injured and numerous arrests.

The future NBA star would spend the night behind bars with some friends. Iverson always claimed he had never participated in the events that night.

Iverson was convicted of "maiming by mob" and sentenced to 15 years in prison. However, he only served four months at the City Farm correctional facility in Newport News, thanks to a pardon granted by Virginia Governor Douglas Wilder due to "insufficient evidence."

The case gained significant media attention, as it involved a minor being tried as an adult in court—a talented basketball youth who faced significant prison time.

Iverson and three of his friends were detained a week later (Melvin Stephens, Samuel Wynn, and Michael Simmons). None of the members from the other group involved ever faced the judge.

The judge who presided over the case had been accused of previous racist allegations, due to the high number of conviction rates against African Americans. At the same time, the witnesses who testified during the trial were white.

In a recording that was made public afterward, it was revealed that it was the group of white men from Poquoson who started the fight.

During the five months between the trial and the sentencing, numerous African American rights organizations showed their support for Allen Iverson and his three friends through protests.

Spending time in prison was the worst possible outcome for Iverson, who was starting to build a promising basketball career. The point guard faced significant challenges securing a scholarship during a crucial moment in his development as an athlete.

Against all odds, he was accepted into Georgetown University in 1994, where he became the East Conference's 'Defensive Player of the Year' twice, and Rookie of the Year in 1995.

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Iverson leaped to the NBA in 1996 playing for the Philadelphia 76ers and also played for the Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, and Memphis Grizzlies, before bidding farewell to basketball with Beşiktaş in Turkey.