The last time fans in Philadelphia saw 76ers guard Allen Iverson, his head was bowed. His mood was sullen. His persona was that of a beaten warrior who had fought valiantly but to no avail. That was because of the Los Angeles Lakers, who captured their second consecutive NBA championship June 15 by beating the Sixers in Game 5 of the NBA Finals at the First Union Center.
Iverson's mood was understandable, given the effort he had put forth. Just as it was yesterday.
Accessible to the public for the first time since the Sixers' season-ending setback, Iverson appeared at the Westin Hotel yesterday afternoon to publicize his fourth annual Celebrity Summer Classic. For the first time, he had brought the event to Philadelphia.
The festivities started with a celebrity gala at the Westin last night. It will continue today in Camden with a rap session for inner-city youth and a block party "focused on encouraging kids to stay in school, to stay away from drugs and avoid gang activity," according to Gary Moore, president of Iverson's Crossover Promotions.
The weekend will be capped off tomorrow by a celebrity basketball game scheduled for a 3 p.m. start at Temple University's Liacouras Center.
Among the celebrity guests scheduled to appear are Sixers guard Aaron McKie; Golden State guard Larry Hughes, a former Sixer; Phoenix guard Stephon Marbury, who was traded last week by New Jersey; boxers Bernard Hopkins and Jacqui Frazier-Lyde; actors Lorenz Tate and Tommy Ford; NFL star Warren Sapp of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; and singer Cheryl "Pepsi" Riley. Proceeds will benefit the Boys & Girls Club, H.I.V. and AIDS Awareness, and inner-city Philadelphia children.
Iverson opened his news conference yesterday by saying: "I don't have a speech or anything. Just come on with the questions."
The NBA's MVP knew that the celebrity event wouldn't be the only topic of discussion. People in Philadelphia were still talking about the Sixers' - and his - heroic efforts in the NBA Finals.
Moore has marketed the charity event as a sort of homecoming for Iverson, a chance to display Iverson's affection for the city he nearly departed last summer, when his name surfaced in trade talks.
"I've always felt the love in Philadelphia," Iverson said yesterday. "I always paid attention to the people that loved me."
