A hot, steamy night with a constant threat of thunderstorms did nothing to deter over 8,000 fans from coming out to Prince George’s Stadium in Bowie, MD on July 16 for the 2005 Allen Iverson Celebrity Softball Classic, featuring Allen Iverson and a host of other celebrities from the likes of the NBA, NFL, the film and record industries, and beyond.

The game, which was played on the home field of the Bowie Baysox, a Class-AA affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, was a fundraiser for Iverson’s CrossOver Foundation. Iverson’s team of celebrity all-stars against a team put together by Washington radio station WPGC. Iverson’s team won 13-11 in a five-inning affair.

For Iverson, the evening was about having fun with his buddies and entertaining the fans.

“I’m just blessed to have all of these people come out here,” he said before the game. “It’s been raining, but the event’s still going on. Just seeing people act they way theyr’e acting, and the love out here. The smiles on kids faces. This is what it’s all about. They could be anywhere, but they want to be here. So it says a lot about the event.”

Sixers forward Andre Iguodala was among the many NBA players taking part in the game. He was happy to come help out the teammate that helped him through his rookie season.

“I’m out here to support AI,” Iguodala said. “He helped me so much during the season, and I can’t do anything but give back my time and show appreciation. It’s helping a charity, so it’s for a good cause, and I can just come out here and have a good time.”

Players got a kick out of seeing what each other could do on the softball field, whether it was Washington’s Antawn Jamison hitting a bomb of a home run or his Wizards teammate Juan Dixon running through the plastic outfield fence while chasing a fly ball. Among those watching the fun was John Thompson, Iverson’s college coach at Georgetown, who was observing for the third consecutive year.

“Each year it’s gotten better and better,” Thompson said. “I respect him for it. I think that’s the side of him that he very seldom reveals to people. I’ve known that he’s that way, that he has a concern, and obviously he’s following up on that concern by getting some of these guys to come out here.”

And even though this was an exhibition game for charity, Iverson was diving for grounders at shortstop and making plays from the seat of his pants – something that didn’t surprise Thompson one bit.

“I think Allen could have played anything he wanted to play,” Thompson said. “Not only is he athletic, but he’s so stubborn and persistent in what he does.”

Besides the fun, the evening was also about helping out kids through the CrossOver Foundation, something else Iverson is very persistent about. This year it was about helping out fathers too – the foundation partnered with the National Fatherhood Initiative for this year’s game.

“It’s for a good cause,” Iverson said. “It’s for kids. It’s for fathers. It’s for people trying to do something positive in their life. All I want to do is do something positive in my life. Not just basketball or being a great father to my kids. I’m trying to be a good person to everybody. I want to share my love that I have with everybody out here.”