Philadelphia 76ers great Allen Iverson thanked his former college head coach John Thompson for saving his life. On Thompson's birthday, the Sixers legend posted a throwback photo featuring himself and his former coach hugging it out.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BnPu3TRAICN/?taken-by=theofficialai3
Iverson spent two seasons at Georgetown under Thompson. Prior to committing to the Hoyas, Iverson was playing ball as a senior at Hampton's Richard Milburn High, a school for at-risk students or students who already had dropped out of high school. He was sent there from Bethel High school after being convicted of a felony in a bowling alley incident on Valentine's day of 1993.
During this time, Iverson's mom approached Thompson — who had already seen the kid's potential in the three years he spent in Bethel.
In a report by Mike Sielski of ESPN, Thompson said then:
“She was the reason why I helped her child.”
In their meeting, Thompson offered Iverson a full scholarship to join the Georgetown Hoyas basketball squad. The rest, as they say, is history.
Iverson's caption is not an overstatement. Before Thompson came up to him, Iverson's life was in limbo. He was an ace athlete back in high school — both in American football and basketball. The felony charge seemingly put a halt to his budding career in athletics. But like they say, there's light at the end of the tunnel. And Thompson guided Iverson to that light.
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