Pittsburgh Pirates Go Viral For Signing Outfielder Allen, Iverson From Panama

Fans may have have done a double-take when they saw the Pittsburgh Pirates sign Iverson Allen, whose name bears a striking resemblance to Hall of Fame point guard Allen Iverson.

Of all the international free agents the Pittsburgh Pirates have come to terms with this week, one has stood apart from the rest.

Iverson Allen, a 16-year-old outfielder from Panama, went viral after inking a deal with the Pirates on Monday. It didn't take long for fans to note that his name is an inverse of Hall of Fame point guard Allen Iverson's.

Allen's father played basketball for Panama's national team, according to Pirates Prospects, which is likely the reason for his son's strangely familiar name.

The Pittsburgh Pirates just signed a 16-year-old center-fielder from Panama named Iverson Allen.

You can't tell me this isn't Allen Iverson in disguise pic.twitter.com/6uYMaj0cai

— Peter Blanchard (@peterlblanchard) January 16, 2024

Iverson, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, spent the first 11 seasons of his NBA career on the other side of Pennsylvania with the Philadelphia 76ers. He averaged 26.7 points per game over the course of his career with the 76ers, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons and Memphis Grizzlies.

Allen does not have any statistics publicly available, but he is listed as a 6-foot, 160-pound right-handed outfielder on MLB.com. Iverson was listed at 6 feet and 165 pounds when he retired from basketball, bringing their striking resemblance to a whole other level.

The Pirates had been leading the charge on Allen for nearly two years, considering a report from Pirates Prospects pegged the club as the leader to sign the outfielder back in May 2022. Over 20 months later, Allen finally put pen to paper.

Monday was the first day that teams could officially sign international free agents. The Pirates are expected to announce their full class Friday at their academy in the Dominican Republic, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 

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