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ReganBooks
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ISBN: 0060097736
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Nov. 2002
From the
Publisher:
There are few figures
among America's media-saturated landscape that loom larger than the National
Basketball Association's undeniable superstar Allen Iverson. He was the
first overall pick of the 1996 NBA draft, and the spotlight has not left him
since. Defiantly tattooed, with his hair in cornrows, the six-foot
Philadelphia 76ers point guard has been vilified by a sports press still
fawning over Michael Jordan's non-threatening, clean-cut visage. From
Iverson's rap sheet to his rap album, from his on-court feats to his
off-court antics, breathless fans and journalists alike seem determined to
track his every move. Part sports star, part antihero, part hip-hop icon,
Iverson has managed to cross over into the mainstream of American culture --
without compromise.
It wasn't long before Iverson's prodigious athletic skills
became apparent. Raised in poverty, with his father in prison, Iverson
retreated to his local playgrounds and found escape from the all-too-common
woes of the inner-city dweller. In one summer alone, eight of his friends
were killed in shootings. But Iverson's talent simply could not be denied,
and basketball remained the one constant in his tumultuous existence.
And so Iverson, despite all odds, rose. A now-infamous
scuffle in a bowling alley led to near race riots in Iverson's hometown of
Newport News, Virginia, resulting in his being sentenced to jail time during
high school. Eventually, Governor Douglas Wilder granted him clemency, the
conviction was overturned on appeal, and his ascent continued. Georgetown
coach John Thompson stepped in, giving Iverson a berth on his team at a time
when other universities were too skittish to offer the same. It was their
loss. After two tremendous years at Georgetown, Iverson declared himself
eligible for the NBA draft. And the rest is history.
In Only the Strong Survive, Larry Platt offers up
the first full portrait of a complicated and intensely private star, a man
whose loyalty to his family, the streets, and his friends (a group he calls
Cru Thik) trumps any other concerns -- and that includes multimillion-dollar
endorsement deals. Possessing an almost otherworldly talent, Allen Iverson
is determined that everyone -- his mom, his homeboys, his cousins -- benefit
from it. By embracing his roots and refusing to conform, Iverson has won
fans and admirers far beyond the boundaries of the sports world.
Filled with exclusive interview material and unprecedented
access to many of Iverson's inner circle, Only the Strong Survive
provides the first in-depth look at the truth behind this newly minted
legend. |
