Now I've been rather critical of Allen Iverson's mother, but this is a sort of sad story about her babypeople:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted on Tue, Oct. 21, 2003
God has been good to Ann Iverson
Ann Iverson counts her blessings in this time of trial
By PHIL JASNER
jasnerp@phillynews.com
NORFOLK, Va. -
Mister Allen Iverson is a little more than 2 weeks old. He is the "personal business" Allen Iverson was attending to while the 76ers were in Salt Lake City and Dallas during the weekend.
Mister Allen Iverson, the Sixers star's little brother, was born Oct. 3 to Allen's mother, Ann. Allen's older son, Allen II, is Deuce. Mister Allen Iverson already has been designated as "Trey."
"Born Oct. 3, Allen wears No. 3, so the baby had to be Trey," Ann said cheerily before the Sixers dropped a 102-85 preseason decision to the New Orleans Hornets in the Ted Constant Convocation Center.
"He's Mister, because, back in the day, when our people picked cotton and such, the men were always called by their last name. I didn't want that for him. Then I wanted his middle name to be after someone famous. Allen's famous."
Ann Iverson is 44. She hadn't turned 16 when Allen was born. She sat in a front-row seat last night, directly across from the Sixers' bench, and said she was grateful for what she has. She gave birth to twin boys Oct. 3.
Only Mister Allen survived. 
"God took one and gave me one," Ann said. "I'm blessed. I remember waking up, seeing my new son. God has been good to me."
There were Allen Iverson sightings all over the Tidewater area during the weekend. At a high school football game Friday night. At a college game Saturday. At a lively party Sunday night at a restaurant not far from the Sixers' hotel. But Ann said Allen was where he needed to be when it meant the most.
"I have to thank [Sixers president/general manager] Billy King and the coaches for letting him come here," Ann said. "We sat and talked and reminisced. Allen was counting the baby's fingers and toes, getting real emotional. It was important to us to be together."
Everything, though, has a price. Ann agreed with a suggestion that people weren't sure whether to offer congratulations or condolences, but she insisted on being among the 8,136 fans who came to revel in Allen's homecoming. Allen was a football and basketball star at Bethel High in Hampton, leading the football team to a Virginia state championship.
Iverson was on the Sixers' bench for the entire first quarter, in part, coach Randy Ayers said, because the team had added several new plays and nuances. Iverson also was not with his teammates at the morning shootaround.
"I had no problem with Allen coming down here," Ayers said before the game. "If I had, I wouldn't have let him come. He came here to take care of business, and he did that."
Iverson entered the game at the start of the second quarter and didn't come out until just 39.9 seconds remained. Ayers had said he planned to use him for 34 to 35 minutes, and he stuck to that plan. Iverson, as the fourth reserve off the bench, finished with 20 points, six assists, five rebounds and one turnover. The Sixers, though, trailed by as many as 20 points and never came closer than nine in the second half.
Derrick Coleman, who started at power forward, sat out the second half after needing two stitches to close a cut on his lip. Aaron McKie, who started at shooting guard, sat out the second half with a sore lower back. Ayers said he expected both players back "by the end of the week," although there was no way to know whether they will play Thursday night in the final preseason game against the New Jersey Nets at the Wachovia Center.
If Iverson had been uncomfortable with his family's situation, he said: "My mom made it a lot easier, because, after losing a child and coming here, I thought she wouldn't be too upbeat. But I guess that's how much she loves me."
"The whole time I was here," Allen said, "she was upbeat. It kind of seemed like it didn't even happen. The biggest thing is, God gave her one baby. Another one went to a better place. It's kind of bittersweet."
Ann said she knew she was supposed to be resting, but she felt she needed to be at the game. Allen already was looking ahead to a time when Deuce, his 2-month-old son Isaiah, and his new brother Trey were "going to kind of grow up together."
"Hopefully, I'll be able to play long enough that my little brother can come to a game and see how the fans treat me, and be part of that."
All anyone saw of the Sixers on the court last night was a group of players who have yet to have all their pieces together. Starting forward Kenny Thomas remained out with what the Sixers have termed a right flank contusion. Backups Greg Buckner (strained left hamstring) and Monty Williams (tendinitis, left knee) remained in Philadelphia, taking therapy.
"It's a matter of having more time together, working the chemistry out on the floor," Ayers said. "Getting Allen back on the floor, then losing DC and Aaron, we didn't have a chance to build on what I thought was good chemistry after two games in Utah [a loss] and Dallas [a victory]."
Ayers also recognized what Allen - a three-time NBA scoring champion and former Most Valuable Player - means to the Sixers.
"He changes the game," Ayers said. "If we put the ball in his hands in transition, he changes the game."