DATE: Tuesday, August 5, 1997               TAG: 9708050255

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C6   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY LORRAINE EATON, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   44 lines

NO HERO WORSHIP FROM YOUNG FANS

The Chicago Bulls might be Tony Cherry's team, but Allen Iverson is the player he likes best.

``It's that cross-over,'' said Tony, 13, referring to Iverson's dribble. ``I just love it.''

Iverson's brush with the law - he was charged Sunday with possession of marijuana - isn't really important when it comes to being a fan, Tony and other Hampton Roads young people said Monday. Their admiration is based on the NBA Rookie of the Year's athletic ability, not his off-court activities.

``I respect him as a player, not as a person,'' said Victoria Holden, 17, a rising senior and shooting guard on Maury High's girls varsity team.

Iverson's power as a role model just doesn't go that deep, Tony said. But he said he wants the Philadelphia 76ers guard to keep playing so that he can keep watching him on television.

If found guilty of the drug charges, Iverson won't get any special treatment, 76ers officials said. But some young fans think that Iverson should get special treatment - harsher treatment - that might convince the 22-year-old to stay clear of trouble . . . and ultimately keep him on a court instead of in one.

``Doing drugs is a serious crime,'' said William James, 14, a rising freshman at Salem High. ``I think (if Iverson is convicted) he should do some time in jail. Then he might learn a lesson and be a better citizen.''

``And fine him, like $1 million,'' said Rashad James, 11, a rising sixth-grader at Landstown Middle School who also plays basketball at the Virginia Beach Boys and Girls Club.

``Or get him some counseling,'' added Rashad's teammate, Devone Wiggins, 10, a rising fifth-grader at Landstown Elementary School.

Meanwhile, Tony, who says he shoots hoops for three hours a day at the Virginia Beach Girls and Boys Club, tried to empathize with his athletic idol.

``I think he doesn't want to forget where he came from, he has to keep his image,'' he said. ``He doesn't want to look like a punk.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photos

Rashad James

Devone Wiggins

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