Iverson won’t find it easy here

NBA legend Allen Iverson’s coaching skills will be put to a severe test when his band of seven streetballers goes up against a 14-man squad, powered by two NBA veterans and piloted by Tim Cone in a benefit game to raise funds for Gawad Kalinga at the Mall of Asia Arena on Nov. 5.

The 14-man PCWorx team is composed of PBA legends Jerry Codinera and Marlou Aquino, former national player RenRen Ritualo, two-time PBA MVP Willie Miller, Mac Belo of FEU, Almond Vosotros of La Salle, Kiefer and Thirdy Ravena of Ateneo, Troy Rosario of NU, Jaymark (CJ) Perez of San Sebastian, Javee Mocon and Ola Adeogun of San Beda, DerMarr Johnson and Eddy Curry.

Project organizer Sheryl Reyes said it was Iverson who suggested to reinforce the local lineup with Johnson and Curry. “AI is confident his seven players will put on a show and win,” she said. “The initial plan was for DerMarr and Eddy to play with the streetballers but AI wants to make the matchups interesting. This will be a classic – seven against 14. The tallest player in AI’s team is 6-6 while coach Tim has Eddy Curry who is 7-foot tall.”

Iverson’s cast is from the concrete playground jungles of the inner cities where ballers do the impossible and the improbable. They go by Iverson’s motto of “Only The Strong Survive.” Streetballers play with attitude, show no respect and like to execute in-your-face moves that posterize opponents. They defy every principle of the team game and use individual tricks to embarrass defenders. They thrive on ankle-breakers and shun gravity to throw down tomahawks, slingshots and windmills.

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The Magnificent Seven in Iverson’s lineup are 6-5 Ryan (Special FX) Williams of St. John’s University, 6-2 Taurian (Air Up There) Fontenette, 6-0 Larry (Bone Collector) Williams of Globe Institute of Technology of New York, 6-5 Anthony (Mr. Afrika) Pimble of Southern Indiana University, 6-3 Aaron (AO or The General) Owens, 6-6 Gary (G) Smith and 5-10 Grayson (The Professor) Boucher. Each is a streetball legend with an amazing story to tell.

Special FX, for instance, has a 45-inch vertical leap and is a mind-boggling dunker. The Bone Collector was once MVP of the Rucker Park League in New York and has a reputation as a ballhandling demon. Smith is known as the world’s most underrated dunker who once bruised the side of his face on the backboard in executing an elbow jam. Air Up There’s repertoire includes a 720-degree twin-spin slam and a 360-degree between-the-legs reverse. AO is often compared to NBA veterans Jason Williams, Rafer Alston, Kenny Anderson and Moochie Norris. Pimble made a name for himself in the Bronx with And1 and Streetball Lab. The Professor has immortalized his signature moves in website instructionals and even via an iPhone app where he calls his Streetball Class in session.

Johnson, 34, once played in the PBA as a Barako Bull import in 2012. He was the Atlanta Hawks’ first round pick and sixth overall choice in the 2000 NBA draft. The 6-9 forward played for Atlanta, New York, Denver and San Antonio in seven NBA seasons. Curry, 31, was the Chicago Bulls’ first round pick in 2001 and has played in 11 NBA seasons with the Bulls, New York, Miami and Dallas.

Reyes said Iverson will be challenged by Cone who has been hailed as a “hoops guru” by renowned basketball author Roland Lazenby. “AI won’t play,” she said. “He’s being groomed by the Philadelphia 76ers as an assistant coach after they retired his jersey last year. He’s been touring around the US doing basketball clinics and activities for the Sixers. AI’s tour begins with TV appearances and a welcome dinner party on Nov. 3 then a press conference at the NBA Café and a basketball clinic at Barangay Holy Spirit on Nov. 4.”

The clinic will be conducted with Cone, Johnson, Curry and PBA players Sol Mercado, Jay-Jay Helterbrand, Harvey Carey, Chris Ross and Miller. Then, the climax is the game on Nov. 5.

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“AI is very excited to come out here and face coach Tim,” said Reyes. “He’s heard a lot about coach Tim and is very privileged to be given a chance to go up against the PBA’s winningest.”

PBA legend Robert Jaworski withdrew from coaching Team PCWorx because of his mother-in-law’s critical condition. “Actually, Sen. Jaworski agreed to coach because he believes in Gawad Kalinga and wanted to help out,” she said. “He even wanted to call at least two practices. But because of his mother-in-law’s condition, he had to back out as he’s always by her beside at St. Luke’s Hospital in Global City.”

From funds raised by the project, Reyes said 44 houses will be constructed in two villages by Gawad Kalinga in Quezon City. The two villages will be named in honor of PCWorx and Iverson.

Jaworski’s associate Reli de Leon said the Big J was offered a six-figure amount to coach PCWorx but turned it down. “Sen. Jaworski is more than willing to help out in any way he can,” said De Leon. “He met with Mike Chua, who’s the PCWorx managing director, at Via Mare in St. Luke’s last week. Sen. Jaworski supports the cause of Gawad Kalinga. He told Mike, who’s related to the late Red Bull team governor Tony Chua, he will endorse the project at no charge.”