BY HIS OWN CHOICE, Allen Iverson no longer 
will release his controversial rap album, but the 76ers' superstar and reigning NBA Most Valuable Player still is going multimedia.

If there was a time when the NBA was afraid to market Iverson, that's no longer the case.

Friday, NBA Entertainment, 

in conjunction with USA Home Entertainment and Reebok, is 

releasing "Allen Iverson: The 

Answer" - a documentary on videotape and DVD that chronicles Iverson's journey from the projects in Hampton, Va., to the stratosphere of NBA superstardom.

It's an hourlong journey of 

revealing interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, commentary and, of course, mind-boggling highlights.

"Allen was an obvious choice, for a number of factors," Larry Weitzman, NBA vice president of multimedia production and programming, said of why Iverson joined Michael Jordan as the only NBA stars to get the full-length video treatment. "His highlights are sensational. If you're buying a DVD, you want quality images, and his highlights are as good as there are. Visually, he's compelling."

From the start of the program, when Iverson, while lying on his back and having his left leg stretched, says, "Time to roll 

baby, time to roll," the video offers a fast-paced yet surprisingly deep look at Iverson through 

8mm and 16mm game action, 

interviews and archived footage.

It's not just a high-tech polishing of Iverson.

Through commentary from Iverson, plus coaches, friends, family and media members, most subjects of Iverson's colorful life are covered, including his controversial arrest in high school and his up-and-down 

relationship with Sixers coach Larry Brown.

Iverson is shown in his emotional return home after four months in a Virginia prison and before receiving clemency from then-Gov. L. Douglas Wilder.

There is blunt commentary from teammate Aaron McKie: "My impressions of Allen before I came here was he was a guy I really didn't want to be on the same team with.

"I didn't know him personally, but I just heard so many bad things about him."

Iverson and Brown are seen 

arguing in a team huddle, clearly demonstrating their clashing 

of styles. Both offer revealing statements about each other and how they've managed to coexist.

Iverson is shown in baby 

photos and on video playing 

recreation league, AAU, high school and college basketball.

And for anyone who doubted claims that Iverson could have starred in Division I football and possibly the NFL, check out the clips of Iverson in the DVD 

bonus feature, "Allen the Football Star."

Everything weaves into an 

insightful tapestry, helping to 

explain who Iverson is, where he's come from and what he's about.

"Allen has a wonderful story," Weitzman said. "It's an interesting story and it's fun to track where he's come from to where he is.

"Allen has a lot of sides to him. He's a three-dimensional character who fits in great for video format. He was really enthusiastic about this."

Two or three years ago, Iverson wouldn't have gotten this treatment from the league. His image still didn't fit.

But winning changes things, and becoming the league's MVP changes things a lot.

"We tried to focus our effort on players that we call superstars," said USA Home Entertainment president Joe Amodei, who lives in Langhorne, Pa., and routinely attends Sixers games. "Allen tops that list.

"There is no doubt that Allen Iverson is one of the most flamboyant and exciting players to 

ever put on an NBA uniform.

"I'm a sports fan, and it's highlighted my enjoyment to focus on a hometown hero."

"Allen Iverson: The Answer" is scheduled to be in stores Friday. The VHS will have a suggested retail price of $14.95.

The DVD's suggested retail price is $19.95. It includes 

features on Iverson and fellow showman Isiah Thomas, Iverson's top 10 plays, and a special Reebok feature.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the DVD is that Iverson's 

famous, ankle-breaking crossover move on Jordan during his rookie year checks in at only 

No. 4 on his top-plays list.

What's No. 1?

Well, Iverson is a 6-foot guard and Marcus Camby is a 6-11 center. You get one guess as to who slam-dunked home a rebound over whom?

To celebrate the release of the video, Iverson is scheduled to host a preview Friday during the Inner-City Games' charity auction at Zanzibar Blue, which begins at 6 p.m.

TNT will air it Saturday night at 6 o'clock.

"A lot of people felt like I couldn't reach this point," Iverson says at one point during the video. "People talked about my size, my game, that I was selfish. That I couldn't make it here with the guys that I'm playing with. 

It makes the story that much 

better in the end."

It certainly makes for a fascinating video. *