[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 139 (Friday, August 26, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E881]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





  HONORING ALLEN E. IVERSON ON HIS BETHEL HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL JERSEY 
                               RETIREMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. ROBERT C. ``BOBBY'' SCOTT

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, August 26, 2022

  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to 
Allen Ezail Iverson for his contributions as an amateur and 
professional athlete as Bethel High School, his alma mater, retires his 
football jersey in a ceremony today.
  As a student at Bethel High School in Hampton, Virginia, Allen was a 
standout athlete on the football field and on the basketball court. He 
excelled as a quarterback, punt returner and defensive back while 
leading his teammates to a Division 5 State Championship in 1992. Allen 
was equally talented on the basketball court, and he had the 
distinction of winning an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Under 17 
National Championship in 1992 as a member of the Boo Williams AAU Team.
  Allen also excelled as Bethel's starting point guard. He led Bethel's 
basketball team to another Division 5 State Championship in the spring 
of 1993, which resulted in the rare feat of winning State Championships 
in two separate sports in the same school year. Allen was widely-
recognized as one of the best athletes in the nation. During his high 
school career, he was named the Associated Press Group's AAA Football 
and Basketball Player of the Year and a McDonald's High School All-
American in Basketball.
  After graduating from Bethel High School, Allen went on to attend 
Georgetown University in Washington, DC, where he was a member of the 
basketball team. During his two years on the basketball team, he led 
the Hoyas to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) 
Basketball Tournament with berths to the Sweet 18 and Elite 8. As a 
Hoya, Allen received the Big East Rookie of the Year Award and was 
selected for All Rookie Tournament First Team. He was also selected as 
Big East Defensive Player of the Year and a First Team All American.
  To the delight of his fans, Allen was drafted to the Philadelphia 
76ers in 1996. He made an impact with the team immediately and was 
named the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Rookie of the year in 
1997. During the 2000-2001 season, he was named Most Valuable Player 
and led the 76ers to the NBA Finals. Ultimately, Allen spent ten 
seasons with the 76ers before he was traded to the Denver Nuggets. He 
played for the Nuggets for two seasons before also playing for the 
Detroit Pistons and the Memphis Grizzlies. He concluded his NBA career 
by reuniting with the Philadelphia 76ers for twenty-five games.
  Over the course of his career, Allen received numerous accolades. He 
led the NBA in scoring on four separate occasions. He was named to the 
All-Star team eleven times and was twice named the All-Star Game's Most 
Valuable Player. He was named to an All-NBA Team seven times. Known for 
his grit and determination, Allen has had tremendous impact on the game 
on the court and basketball culture at large. Allen was rewarded for 
his many contributions with his induction to the Naismith Memorial 
Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016. During the NBA's 75th Anniversary, 
Allen was recognized as one of the 75 best players in NBA history.
  Madam Speaker, Allen Iverson has inspired and impacted basketball 
fans in his hometown of Hampton, across our Nation, and around the 
world. Off the court, he has given so much back to his hometown 
community, including donating toys to children and helping to fund a 
new basketball court at the local Boys and Girls Club in Newport News 
where he played as a child. Bethel High School renamed its gymnasium 
the Allen Iverson Gymnasium and his basketball jersey was retired in 
2003. As his family, friends, fans, and supporters gather this weekend 
to celebrate his numerous accomplishments and the retirement of his 
high school football jersey, I join them in congratulating Allen on a 
truly legendary career. I also want to thank his wife Tawanna, his 
mother Ann, his five children, and his family for all the support they 
have given Allen throughout his career. Allen, who is also 
affectionately known as ``AI'', ``the Answer'' and ``Bubba Chuck'', I 
thank him for representing our community during his career and 
congratulate him on the retirement of his Bethel High School football 
jersey.

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