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Allen Iverson’s visit to a nightclub cost him $260,000 in 2007, thanks to ‘rib crushing’ bodyguard

Ashish Priyadarshi
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Allen Iverson’s visit to a nightclub cost him $260,000, thanks to ‘rib crushing’ bodyguard

Allen Iverson chose the wrong nightclub to visit in 2007 as a brawl broke out. Iverson and his bodyguards were sued for $20 million shortly after.

The 76ers guard goes down as one of the greatest players in NBA history to have never won a championship ring. He tried several times, and he was part of some teams that got really close. However, he never captured that elusive dream.

Iverson’s vintage move was his crossover. He’d regularly destroy opponents with his crisp handles, and the only player who’s come close to reaching his level of ball handling is Kyrie Irving. Iverson even got the great Michael Jordan with his move.

Iverson’s other vintage moment came in the 2001 NBA Finals when he drilled a shot over Tyronn Lue and then stepped over him. The shot came in a massive upset win against the Kobe-Shaq Lakers, and even though the 76ers ultimately lost the series 4-1, the moment lives on in history.

Also Read: Charles Barkley’s ‘bar punch’ almost left a $50,0000 hole in his pocket

Allen Iverson had to pay $260,000 for the actions of his bodyguard

The then-Philadelphia 76ers guard was visiting a Washington nightclub in 2005 when things got heated. A fight broke out at the club, and Iverson and his team were involved in the mess.

Two men, Plaintiffs Marlin Godfrey and David Anthony Kittrell, alleged that Iverson’s bodyguard beat them badly after the pair wouldn’t immediately make room for the star guard in the VIP section of the bar.

They sued Iverson and his bodyguard, Jason Kane, for $20 million on the counts of assault, infliction of emotional distress, negligence and conspiracy.

Iverson disputed the lawsuit, saying that he and his team arrived at the nightclub, saw a fight break out, and left after about 20 minutes of witnessing everything.

Godfrey’s lawyer, Gregory Lattimer, said that there was no way Godfrey planned on getting injured so badly that his head was bust open. “He went through all that because he knew one day he was going to sue you?” Lattimer asked Iverson on the stand to which Iverson said no.

In the end, a federal jury awarded Godfrey $260,000 to cover his medical bills and pain, but they dropped any punitive damages which could have taken the payout higher.

Also Read: “Players like Klay Thompson come out of college every year .. get Kevin Love”: Bill Simmons, Zach Lowe, and NBA’s greatest bettor had it all wrong about Warriors guard

About the author

Ashish Priyadarshi

Ashish Priyadarshi

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Ashish Priyadarshi is The SportsRush's content manager and editor. Ashish freelanced for 1 year in the NFL division before taking on an editorial role in the company. He then tacked on managing content while adding on a writing role in the NBA division. Ashish has been closely following the NFL and NBA since the 2012 season when the Patriots lost the Super Bowl and Derrick Rose was at the height of his powers. Since then, Ashish has focused on honing his knowledge for both leagues in, even writing crossover pieces. In his free time, Ashish is an avid basketball player, he loves to watch movies and TV shows, immersing himself in the cinematic world. Ashish studies computer science and data science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and would love to mesh his love for sports with his technical skills.

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