If you grew up on basketball in the mid to late 1990s, the one name that was mentioned by everyone was Allen Iverson. Now, a new documentary series looks to shine new light on the Hall of Famer’s upbringing and career.
Amazon Studio’s new three-part documentary, entitled simply Allen Iv3rson, invites viewers to see the former point guard from his upbringing on the tough streets of Newport News, Virginia to becoming an 11-time NBA All-Star, four-time scoring champion, and member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary team.
Watch the documentary trailer here
The documentary, directed by Emmy-nominated director One9 with Shaquille O’Neal and Stephen Curry among others serving as executive producers, uses never-before-seen footage and exclusive interviews to show Iverson’s history from all sides. While it shows him back in Newport News for the city naming a street after him, and him leading Bethel High School to the Virginia state championship, it also doesn’t shy away from the bowling alley brawl that landed him in prison and almost derailed his basketball career before it began. It shows the highs of Iverson’s time at Georgetown and being drafted first overall by the 76ers. But it also shows how he clashed with his head coach in Philadelphia, Larry Brown. It shows him putting the Sixers on his back and almost single-handedly carrying them to victory in Game 1 of the 2001 NBA Finals against the Lakers. But it also delves into his marriage to Tawanna Turner and the murder of one of his close friends. The documentary doesn’t hide the clashes with the NBA, the press conference where he talked about “practice,” his troubles with the law. But it also shows how long after his playing days are over, Iverson is still revered in basketball circles, and at 50 years old, he now understands his impact on the culture of the sport.
