The Allen Iverson Roundball Classic was held from April 19th to April 21st. The three day event contained the nation’s top 24 senior basketball players from many high schools.
It started off with a Slam Dunk Contest and a Three-Point Shootout at Allen Iverson’s alma mater, Bethel High School in Hampton, VA on Wednesday, April 19th. On Thursday, an awards ceremony was held for the first recipient of Iverson’s National Player of the Year. Finally on April 21st, an All-American basketball game was played at Churchland High School in Portsmouth, VA.
Matt Coleman and Dajour Dickens were the only two local players to participate in this huge event. Coleman is from Norfolk, VA, and attends Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, VA. He received multiple offers to different colleges such as Duke, Kansas, and Louisville, but signed with Texas. Dickens’s hometown is Hampton, VA and he attends Bethel High School. He has committed to Providence College in Rhode Island. Another Virginia connection is Naji Marshall. Although he isn’t from Virginia, he attends Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, VA. He will attend Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The basketball game was an exciting event with the gym of Churchland High School packed with fans of Iverson and the players. Even the popular radio station of Hampton Roads, 103 JAMZ, partook in the event.
The game was competitive from the start of the clock, with both teams going back and forth scoring on each other. Soon, it became a dunking contest as the crowd oohed and aahed. By halftime, Team Honor pulled away from Team Loyalty making the score 98-70.
During halftime, ICONZ, a Virginia Beach step team, gave a magnificent performance. Iverson also signed autographs and took pictures with the fans.
The game resumed and Team Honor continued to win the game. The final score (with Team Honor pulling away with the win) was 198-152.
The MVPs for the game were chosen according to the highest scoring percentage on both teams. PJ Washington, a 6’9 power forward, received MVP for Team Honor with a game high 37 points. Brandon McCoy, a 6’11 and 240 pound center, received MVP for Team Loyalty for his 34 point game.
Brandon McCoy after the game.
Iverson plans to make this an annual event in the world of basketball. In a recent interview with WTKR News 3, Iverson said, “I believe that the Allen Iverson Roundball Classic will be a positive contribution to the rising youth in the world of basketball.”
Photos: Elijah Macklin