Pirates prospect Iverson Allen goes by ‘The Question,’ loves practice, and models his game after the Sixers legend
The outfielder from Panama is only 17 but sees some similarities to the basketball Hall of Famer. He plays baseball with a comparable swagger.
Iverson Allen has always known his name was different. But it wasn’t until he signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates, on Jan. 15, 2024, that he realized the extent of it. The Panamanian outfielder received hundreds of messages that day, many of them from Philadelphia.
Some pointed out the similarities between the prospect and his namesake, longtime 76ers point guard Allen Iverson. Both stand at 6-foot. Iverson weighed 165 pounds during his playing days; Allen weighs 160. Iverson wore No. 3 at every stop except one (Detroit in 2008-09); Allen wore No. 23 when he first signed (only because No. 3 was already taken).
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But most of the fans had questions. How did he end up with such a distinctive name? Had he ever stepped over anyone? What were his feelings about practice?
“At first, I didn’t understand,” Allen said. “Practice? I didn’t know what it meant. But I Googled it and saw a video that Allen preferred not to practice. Then I understood.”
The minor leaguer now knows these references well. He does not, however, align with Iverson on every one. Allen says he likes practice “a lot.” Instead of going by “The Answer,” like the Hall of Fame point guard, Allen has been given a new nickname: “The Question” (“La Pregunta” in Spanish), which is a nod to Iverson’s first signature sneaker.
He doesn’t have the work-hard-party-hard lifestyle that Iverson had or the same rebellious streak. But he does play with a comparable swagger. Just as Iverson once cupped his hand to his ear, Allen pounds his chest after a diving catch. He describes his style as “explosive and fast.”
“Like Allen was, and like my father was,” the 17-year-old outfielder said.
Allen’s father, Jimmy Allen, played professional basketball in Panama from 1999 to 2009 (including a stint on the national team from 2004 to 2005). He was a point guard with a mean crossover that left defenders stumbling, who, unsurprisingly, liked Allen Iverson’s game.
Allen’s mother, Itzel Ortega, was a big basketball fan, too. So they decided to give their son a name unlike any other.
“My dad told me that he admired Iverson,” Allen said. “He tried to play like him.”
When Iverson (the Pirates prospect) was 10, his father showed him a video of the Sixers legend. He was mesmerized, and as he watched more and more of his father’s games, he began to see the similarities between them.
“They both gave 100%,” Allen said. “They both gave everything for their team. The way my father played is very similar to Allen [Iverson]. The energy, the movement, the dribbling.”
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From that point on, Allen decided he would play baseball with the same intensity as his father and the former NBA star. He’d rob home runs and base hits, dive for any ball within reach, and run as fast as he could.
He is not a top prospect but is seen as having a high ceiling, with room to improve offensively. (Allen was hitting .198 through 86 at-bats in the Dominican Summer League.) Nevertheless, Gera Alvarez, the Pirates’ Latin American field coordinator, said he admires the outfielder’s work ethic.
“Every rep, he goes out hard,” Alvarez said. “He’s always competing. You can tell he’s playing with purpose.”
He added: “When I first saw his name, I said, ‘Oh man, this is awesome. Instead of A.I., we have I.A.’”
It’s unclear where Allen’s career will go from here, but he hopes it will bring him to the United States at some point. His teammates in the Dominican Republic don’t follow much basketball, so they don’t fully appreciate his namesake.
But if he’s promoted to the Florida Complex League or another Pirates affiliate, that would be a different story. Perhaps he’d even catch the attention of The Answer.
“I haven’t heard from Allen directly, but I feel like because of social media, he knows who I am,” Allen said, “and knows that I have a name like his.”