THE ANSWER

Suit seeks 25 percent of Iverson's proceeds from nickname
By MARC LEVY
Associated Press Writer
December 17, 2001


PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Jamil Blackmon says he came up with ``The Answer.''

Now, Blackmon, who claims to be an old friend of Allen Iverson, is demanding 25 percent of the proceeds that the NBA's reigning MVP has realized from the catchy moniker, ``The Answer.''

Blackmon filed a lawsuit Friday in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia, alleging that he nicknamed Iverson in 1994 when he was driving the 6-foot native of Hampton, Va., to an alternative high school each day.

Iverson would become ``The Answer'' to the NBA's woes, Blackmon told the player at the time, the suit claims.

Iverson's attorney, Larry Woodward, of Virginia Beach, Va., said Monday that he could not comment on the specifics of the case, but that Iverson would fight it.

``We're going to defend the case and represent Allen, but we're not going to have any comment on details of the case because it's in litigation,'' Woodward said.

Woodward said the lawsuit, which alleges breach of contract and idea misappropriation, was not a surprise because Blackmon has made the claims before.

Blackmon alleges in the lawsuit that he and Iverson struck a verbal agreement in 1996 specifying that he would receive 25 percent of the profits connected to the use of ``The Answer.''

``They say contracts aren't worth the paper they're written on,'' said Blackmon's Philadelphia-based attorney, Frederick A. Tecce. ``Contracts can be verbal as well as written.''

The suit seeks damages besides the 25 percent royalties on ``The Answer.'' Tecce said the amount of royalties sought would be clear after Iverson's endorsement contracts were submitted to the court.

According to the suit, Iverson and Blackmon struck the verbal agreement at about the time Iverson left Georgetown University in 1996 and was selected first overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in that year's draft.

The 76ers lost in the championship series this year, but Iverson was named the league's MVP.

Along the way, the 26-year-old Iverson has garnered lucrative contracts, including a lifetime endorsement and marketing contract with Reebok signed this year to extend a 10-year, $50 million deal reached in 1996. Terms of the lifetime deal were not released.

Reebok has said it would unveil a new advertising campaign featuring Iverson early next year. Iverson's signature shoe, ``The Answer,'' has been among the top sellers in the industry since its inception five years ago.

Reebok plans to have ``The Answer'' featured more in television and print advertisements, and play a larger role in the company's promotional programs and sponsorships.

In his lawsuit, Blackmon says he befriended Iverson in Hampton in 1987 on the concert promotion scene and the two became close friends.

In 1994, Iverson moved in with Blackmon, at Iverson's mother's request, so that Blackmon could drive Iverson to school each day, the suit says.

Soon after, Iverson began to compete in tournaments in the northeastern United States. Many of the players entering the tournaments had nicknames and Blackmon, a promoter, decided that Iverson needed one, too, the suit alleges. He says he suggested ``The Answer.''

Shortly afterward, Iverson had ``The Answer'' tattooed on his shoulder, according to the suit.


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The kids at my elementary school once called me "wink".. i want 25%!!!