Exclusive: Charity CEO says Allen Iverson spent about a minute with kids battling cancer
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Call it a blunder from Down Under. Allen Iverson's meet-and-greet with children battling cancer in Australia this month lasted about a minute — shorter than an NBA TV timeout, the charity's executive exclusively tells Axios.
Why it matters: The Sixers legend and NBA Hall of Famer is being pilloried online after a viral Reddit post raised questions about his behavior at a recent charity appearance.
The big picture: Challenge, a Melbourne nonprofit that supports families of children with cancer, helped organize a 45-minute meet-and-greet with Iverson — one of several appearances he was scheduled to make during his visit to Australia.
- The group's CEO David Rogers says it has hosted other NBA stars in the past, including Shaquille O'Neal, Seth Curry and Carmelo Anthony.
- Iverson later no-showed a speaking engagement at a CreativeCubes.Co event, per an Instagram post by former NBL player Chris Anstey.
Between the lines: Axios' multiple attempts to reach Iverson at a listed number and through his representatives were unsuccessful.
Zoom in: One family traveled more than seven hours to attend the Challenge event, Rogers said.
- Families expected they would be able to interact with the former NBA star and have him sign autographs.
Yes, but: After waiting nearly two hours while Iverson conducted other media interviews, someone from his management team told families he would only participate in a family photo — and that parents would not be allowed in the room, Rogers said.
What they're saying: Iverson did not speak with the children, snapped a handful of photos and then left the event, Rogers said.
- "The total time spent with all the families was about one minute."
Rogers said he pleaded with Iverson's management team to have the superstar sign autographs for the children.
- After Iverson reached his vehicle, the team relented, allowing him to sign items for a "small number" of children.
The bottom line: Rogers said Iverson's conduct — and his management team's handling of the event — fell far short of what families were promised.
- "His management team has a great deal to answer for," he said.