Only the Strong Survive: The Odyssey of Allen Iverson [Paperback]

Larry Platt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 21, 2003

Part sports star, part antihero, part hip-hop icon, Allen Iverson has managed to cross over into the mainstream of American culture -- without compromise. Defiantly tattooed, with his hair in cornrows, the six-foot Philadelphia 76ers point guard is one of the most recognizable and controversial stars of the sports world. His meteoric rise from a troubled childhood in the ghetto to NBA superstardom has been marked by five straight playoff appearances, including a finals berth in 2001 and an MVP award. From his rap sheet to his rap album, fans and journalists alike hound his every move. But never before has a biographer presented a full portrait of this complicated and intensely private star -- a man whose loyalty to his family, the streets, and his friends trumps any other concern. Filled with exclusive interview material and unprecedented access to many of Iverson's inner circle, Only the Strong Survive is the first in-depth look at the truth behind this newly minted legend.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Like his subject, Platt is at his best while running the court, his prose smooth and economical as he describes Iverson's explosive, creative playing style. A longtime journalist whose sports writings have been collected in New Jack Jocks: Rebels, Race and the American Athlete, Platt writes with an authority that Iverson fans will appreciate. But the compelling rags-to-riches biography of the controversial NBA superstar is bogged down by Platt's repetitive, heavy-handed critiques of the relationship between black athletes, their marketers and the media. Platt repeatedly outlines how white middle class America is not yet ready for Iverson's hip-hop persona, which is "too in-your-face, too black"-a provocative yet unoriginal insight that quickly grows old. Intent on portraying Iverson as a misunderstood truant with a heart of gold, Platt misses the opportunity to create a thorough, insightful portrait. In doing so, he succumbs to the very weakness he criticizes in so many of his fellow journalists: losing the player to the hype. 16-page color insert with b&w photos throughout.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Diminutive basketball superstar Iverson is known around the NBA as "the Answer," but throughout his career, there have always been more questions than answers. His impoverished childhood in Newport News, Virginia, seemed destined to lead him nowhere. His mother was 15 when he was born, his biological father was incarcerated for most of Allen's childhood, his de facto father was a small-time drug dealer, and many of Allen's peers succumbed to street violence--eight were shot in one summer alone. But Iverson's incredible physical gifts and mental toughness pulled him through; he was named the NBA's most valuable player in 2000. Platt conducted dozens of interviews with Iverson and his family and friends to compile a portrait of a young man who celebrates his ghetto roots and refuses to eschew his childhood posse as he resists the NBA marketing machine's attempts to sanitize him for its primarily white fan base. This is a balanced, sympathetic portrait of a complex individual who has overcome a great deal but whose most significant struggles are yet to come. Wes Lukowsky
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: It Books (October 21, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060097744
• ISBN-13: 978-0060097745
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #907,767 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #6 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( I ) > Iverson, Allen

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting but biased, December 17, 2002

By 

"bnichols43" (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Only the Strong Survive: The Odyssey of Allen Iverson (Hardcover)

Platt's biography is a compelling read. It's not something that you want to put down. Nevertheless, it paints and incomplete and too favorable picture of Allen Iverson. While Iverson is a tremendous player, all of his coaches and teammates have acknowledged that he has made some mistakes, particularly with his spotty attendance of practice and shootarounds. Nevertheless, Platt seems to make excuses for all of AI's screwups. Whenever he mentions that Iverson doesn't attend practice, makes a foolish financial decision, disrespects his coach, undermines his teammates, etc., he writes it off as a product of Iverson's tough upbringing or desire to "keep it real." While Iverson's difficult childhood certainly created some incredible obstacles, Platt goes out of his way to explain away the star's mistakes. The book gives a great inside look, but it almost seems as if Platt wants to become one of Iverson's inner circle and this novel sucks up to the superstar way too much. It's worth reading, but if you're a knowledgeable sports fan, you'll easily recognize that Pratt is way too generous.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Behold Iverson, the human being., December 15, 2003

By 

J. C. Russell "cappy006" (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Only the Strong Survive: The Odyssey of Allen Iverson (Hardcover)

As a young Caucasian man, I would never claim to understand Allen Iverson's meteoric rise from a dilapidated home in Newport News to the sparkling arenas of the NBA. Surely Iverson, his unique talent notwithstanding, has faced and cleared obstacles I cannot even fathom, obstacles to which so many have succumb. No, it is only those dominated by arrogance and pride who write off Allen Iverson as a thug, a threat, a disaster, a "them." Having read this book, though, I am content to trade whatever pride and arrogance I have for a new vision of Allen Iverson that transcends the "worst days" his critics are so quick to cite.

This book is looking for Iverson's core, digging deeper than Sportscenter highlight reels and police blotters. A careful reading reveals that there is more to Allen Iverson than cornrows, tattoos, snarls, and jumpers, even while each of these points to the man behind them. Indeed, if one wants to know anything of Allen Iverson, this book leaves you with one thought: no one loves like this man.

Iverson loves the game others claim he is destroying. Only love could score 20 points with a broken hand. More than that, Iverson loves his friends and family. So many have denigrated his "posse" as a distraction or a poor influence. This book, though, tells of a shared concern and loyalty between Iverson and his friends that existed long before the NBA millions and will surely survive his withdrawal from the spotlight. The importance of this love to Iverson's life cannot be overstated, but that's not the story you'll read in any newspaper.

You will find that passion in the pages of Larry Platt's book, and it is a passion with which everyone can sympathize. I do not know Allen Iverson. I know only what I could pull out of this book. Still, I know enough to declare that there are shades of Iverson we all could do well to find within ourselves. Far from painting Iverson as a model citizen, Platt's book does the next best thing: it paints him as a human being. For that reason, it is a worthy read.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid biography, but has a few shortcomings, December 30, 2005

By 

Judd Vance "Round Mound w/o rebounds" (Planet Lovetron) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Only the Strong Survive: The Odyssey of Allen Iverson (Hardcover)

One of the things I look for in a basketball biography is a person with an interesting story. Allen Iverson certainly qualifies.

This biography is written by Larry Platt, the unofficial hip-hop hoops biographer and author of Keepin' It Real. Platt tells Iverson's story, starting with his mother's upbringing through Iverson's - starting with his life in the rough Newport News, Virginia ghetto, through his 2-year college stint at Georgetown and through first six seasons in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers.

The best part about the book is that it goes into detail on many of the controversial events of Iverson's life: the bowling alley incident in high school, his "practice" rant to the media, his arrest for allegedly throwing his naked wife out of his house, his rap album, his "disrespect" of Michael Jordan, and his relationship with Larry Brown. The media worked overtime to paint him as a 1-dimensional thug, but it never seemed to add up when you saw him dote over his children in interviews: this doesn't jibe for a guy who wants to be a thug at all costs. I mean, seriously, a warm spot for kids? Platt paints a more complete picture of Iverson, adding depth to the media characture. He exposes where the media screwed up by not correcting their own mistakes, and on occasion why they would hold a grudge. He explains Iverson's problems with Larry Brown (as well as Brown's with Iverson, which was mentioned numerously by the press). He also explains Iverson's close relationships with his friends and mentors.

Platt is one of the best authors at explaining the hip hop generation. His writing is quick, easy, and entertaining. He goes into detail about the problems white middle class America has with embracing a hip hop superstar. However, his weakness is, just as it was with Keepin' it Real , is that he goes overboard in rationalizing his subject material. He adds depth to their character, but never paints a complete 3-dimensional picture. It appears he is too attached to his subjects to be objective. Once again, true to form, you find him reaching for straws at points - working a little too hard at canonizing Iverson. He mentions, but doesn't dwell on Iverson's unreliability to meet commitments, such as the aforementioned practice, or his skipping school, tutoring sessions, or even Magic Johnson's charity game. One of the worst sidestepping jobs dealt with Iverson's rap album. One of the excerpts from the song 40 Bars was "Come to me with faggot tendencies, you be sleeping where the maggots be." Platt does explain that rappers tell stories about life in the hood as 3rd person accounts as fictionalized characters and shouldn't be taken any more seriously than an author telling a story. Platt goes on to explain that Iverson was upset to think he offended people by his use of the word "faggot" which he says was a hip-hop synonym for "weak" without regard to sex, and he leaves it at that. I told this to a gay friend I know who likes hip hop and basketball and she said it is offense and if she used the "N" word and told Iverson, "Don't be offended by it. I use it to mean a stupid person, without regard to race" it would be equally as absurd, as Iverson's stereotype-based slurs supposedly surprised him. I believe Platt should have looked at the the gripes people had with the record, rather than just telling Iverson's rationalization and leaving it at that. This type of one-sided reporting pops up on more than one occasion.

The strength of book is Platt explaining how Iverson's rough and hard background shaped him into the player that he became in the NBA. The other strength is his explanation of Iverson's marketing appeal. Since Jordan had broke into the league, the sponsors had been looking for the next Jordan: polite, non-threatening, and photogenic - the kind of African-American athlete who transcends race and makes middle class white America feel comfortable. The search had turned up empty, as Anfernee Hardaway, Grant Hill, and Shaquille O'Neal were unable to completely fill the Jordan mold. Iverson refused to go along with this. He viewed the Nike-type opinion-less and harmless character like Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods to be phony people who read what was handed to them and pretended to be somebody else in order to make money. Iverson insisted on "keeping it real." He was who he was and if you didn't like him, he didn't care, because making you happy isn't his priority. Reebok (his shoe sponsor) respected his wishes, and rather than find the next Jordan/Dr. J who would bridge the middle-class white America gap, they burned the bridge, but created a bigger bridge: to the youth of America, who liked the Anti-hero and could relate to Iverson, as their parents and authority figures didn't approve of their friends and their haircuts and/or tattoos. Reebok had done the unthinkable: they threw out the conventional wisdom of sports marketing and re-wrote the laws, and created the next big thing.

If you are a fan of Iverson, definitely read it. If you aren't a big fan of his, but find him interesting or intriguing, and would like to learn more about him - because believe me, everything you thought you knew was wrong - then read it. If you have made up your mind that he is a hooligan and represents all that is wrong in basketball and nothing is going to change your mind, then don't waste your time. I'm not saying you have to think the guy is a pure saint, because he isn't, but there is more to him than meets the eye.