Screw humility ... news legend Tom Brokaw says he knows Allen Iverson might never have made it to the NBA without his help ... but says there's a damn good reason he stepped in.
The backstory -- back in 1993, an 18-year-old Iverson was sentenced to 15 years in prison for allegedly hitting a white woman at a bowling alley during a brawl.
Brokaw heard about the situation -- and felt it was wrong for a teen with no prior criminal record to get such a harsh sentence ... so he featured the story on the national news.