Allen Yep, Iverson's lending his name to Vitamin Water. Iverson wants you to drink healthy...So put that can of pop away and drink what Allen drinks...Check out the ad.

Iverson lending his name to 'vitaminwater'
By PHIL JASNER
jasnerp@phillynews.com

With a lifetime contract with Reebok, Allen Iverson pretty much stayed out of the endorsement business.

Until now. Until the billboards showing the 76ers star guard promoting vitaminwater started popping up, including along Interstate 95 and the Atlantic City Expressway.

We're talking about an enhanced water drink, a business founded in Whitestone, N.Y., in 1996 by J. Darius Bikoff. Iverson is listed as one of the company's "athlete partners," all described as investors in the company. The group includes David Ortiz, of the Boston Red Sox; Brian Urlacher, of the Chicago Bears; David Wright, of the New York Mets; Tracy McGrady, of the Houston Rockets; and Ray Allen, of the Seattle SuperSonics.

"This is a big endeavor for [Iverson]," said Gary Moore, Iverson's manager. "You can be looking for more things to come. Allen is getting deep in corporate America."

Why now, after staying away for so long?

"It's been 10 years [as a Sixer]," Moore said. "It's been coming. He's thinking more about his body and he knows people follow his lead. He won't endorse anything that's not good for him or the consumer. He uses [vitaminwater]."

A company information sheet says "like where we're from [new york], there's no b.s. about us. in this tradition of 'keeping it real,' we use only natural flavors and colors in our products (why would you do it any other way, really?)."

The Wall Street Journal described the company as a $350 million business. The company says it makes no health claims. One of its drinks, power-c, includes, among other ingredients, vitamin C, taurine (an amino acid), dragonfruit extract (from a South American fruit), electrolytes, various vitamins, Asian ginseng, crystalline fructose, citric acid, vapor distilled/deionized water and vegetable juice.

The company does not disclose each athlete's financial stake. The water, though, comes in 13 flavors.