Allen Iverson

[Weird Harold]

But i'm here sticking up for iverson because i'm tired of people trying to make him the poster boy for all that is wrong with the nba. Look at his track recording. And i mean everything, up to and including this tirade of a press conference he just held. I say his record as a "good citizen" holds up MUCH better than a lot of other guys who NEVER get slammed for being the ingrates and buffoons they are.

A. I. is indeed a much better person than many of the others, and is NOT (to me) a "poster boy for all that is wrong with the NBA."

He is, however, a person who uses the word "practice" the way most of us use "sewer" or "whorehouse."

Shaq is a much better poster boy for what is wrong with the NBA anyway -- I've never sen him make a basket from further away than arm's reach, and he's said that, "I could score 50 points anytime, even without making freethrows but they don't pay me enough for that."

BTW, I spend about 12-16 hours a day listening to Sports Talk Radio and have heard both sides of this debate all this week.

AI is indeed getting a bum rap from a lot of people but that doesn't change the fact that in his interview, he gives the distinct impression he doesn't consider "practice" to be part of his job. Specifically, he said, "The others alreay know what I'm going to do, so why do I need to go to practice?"

That illustrates to me that he doesn't know what "practice" is about. His teammates may know what he's doing, but does he have any clue about what THEY are planning? I doubt it.

 

[fanzee1]

Are you the dirty judge that hangs around him all the time?

BAC. check your PMs. Also please note that I really don't give a damn about the nba or allen iverson. I just don't like seeing people latch onto stereotypes and run with them without taking a good look for themselves.

 

[fanzee1]

AI is indeed getting a bum rap from a lot of people but that doesn't change the fact that in his interview, he gives the distinct impression he doesn't consider "practice" to be part of his job. Specifically, he said, "The others alreay know what I'm going to do, so why do I need to go to practice?"

That illustrates to me that he doesn't know what "practice" is about. His teammates may know what he's doing, but does he have any clue about what THEY are planning? I doubt it.

then it sounds to me like your argument is that he doesn't take practice seriously enough, and so doesn't work hard enough when he's there. That's different from saying he isn't going, which is what you did earlier. Anyway, it was a misunderstanding.

And take it from a sports talk junkie who is trying to reform: find something else to do with your time, that stuff if mind numbing. AAAAAAAH!!!

 

[TonyG]

Larry Brown had his say yesterday. Some of his comments:

"It seemed to me that was a young kid reaching out for help. His feelings were obviously hurt. I admire him, I love him personally, I love the way he competes and tries to win, but I've had issues with him as far as coming to practice and being on time and becoming a better player. I said all those things were in his control."

"I know he wants to do what's right. I've been with him five years, and every day hasn't been great. But I've seen tremendous growth, I've seen him improve as a player and I've seen him accomplish a great deal and I'm hopeful with me being here I can continue to see him getting better."

"He's said 100 times that he's unselfish, that he wants to be the first guy to practice and the last guy to leave, that he wants to make his teammates better, that he wants to win a championship and I'm there to remind him of it. Nobody in my profession has had a challenge like this and I don't look at that in a bad way."




Here in Philly people are starting to have enough of Iverson. Yes, he plays hard, scores a lot of points and brings in paying fans. But, we want a championship and it is becoming clear that we will not get one with Iverson here. He had the highest scoring average in the 1996 NCAA tournament but did not make the all-tournament team. He never led Georgetown to an NCAA championship. When he graduated he was viewed as a challenge player based on coach John Thompson's comments about his lack of 'team' ethics.

One other aspect about his practice time. According to the local sports talk guys and columnists, when Iverson does show up to practice, there are times when he just sits and watches or goes to one end and shoots the ball alone for about 15 minutes. Working with the team is not an Iverson priority.

I also do not feel he is a poster boy for what is wrong with the NBA. I do not feel he is wrong for the NBA at all, just wrong for the Sixers.

 

[Marxist]

Larry Brown had his say yesterday. Some of his comments:

"It seemed to me that was a young kid reaching out for help. His feelings were obviously hurt. I admire him, I love him personally, I love the way he competes and tries to win, but I've had issues with him as far as coming to practice and being on time and becoming a better player. I said all those things were in his control."

"I know he wants to do what's right. I've been with him five years, and every day hasn't been great. But I've seen tremendous growth, I've seen him improve as a player and I've seen him accomplish a great deal and I'm hopeful with me being here I can continue to see him getting better."

"He's said 100 times that he's unselfish, that he wants to be the first guy to practice and the last guy to leave, that he wants to make his teammates better, that he wants to win a championship and I'm there to remind him of it. Nobody in my profession has had a challenge like this and I don't look at that in a bad way."




Here in Philly people are starting to have enough of Iverson. Yes, he plays hard, scores a lot of points and brings in paying fans. But, we want a championship and it is becoming clear that we will not get one with Iverson here. He had the highest scoring average in the 1996 NCAA tournament but did not make the all-tournament team. He never led Georgetown to an NCAA championship. When he graduated he was viewed as a challenge player based on coach John Thompson's comments about his lack of 'team' ethics.

One other aspect about his practice time. According to the local sports talk guys and columnists, when Iverson does show up to practice, there are times when he just sits and watches or goes to one end and shoots the ball alone for about 15 minutes. Working with the team is not an Iverson priority.

I also do not feel he is a poster boy for what is wrong with the NBA. I do not feel he is wrong for the NBA at all, just wrong for the Sixers.

Until you either assassinate or recruit Shaq or Tim Duncan, there's no need to get all wound up about not getting a ring. You hadn't come close in nearly 20, what makes Philly so hungry and disatisfied now? Besides, Philly fans are the worst fans of all their teams. Unknowlegdable, rude, and they don't show when their teams perform well or poorly. Philly is a joke.

 

[fanzee1]

Larry Brown had his say yesterday. Some of his comments:

"It seemed to me that was a young kid reaching out for help. His feelings were obviously hurt. I admire him, I love him personally, I love the way he competes and tries to win, but I've had issues with him as far as coming to practice and being on time and becoming a better player. I said all those things were in his control."

"I know he wants to do what's right. I've been with him five years, and every day hasn't been great. But I've seen tremendous growth, I've seen him improve as a player and I've seen him accomplish a great deal and I'm hopeful with me being here I can continue to see him getting better."

"He's said 100 times that he's unselfish, that he wants to be the first guy to practice and the last guy to leave, that he wants to make his teammates better, that he wants to win a championship and I'm there to remind him of it. Nobody in my profession has had a challenge like this and I don't look at that in a bad way."




Here in Philly people are starting to have enough of Iverson. Yes, he plays hard, scores a lot of points and brings in paying fans. But, we want a championship and it is becoming clear that we will not get one with Iverson here. He had the highest scoring average in the 1996 NCAA tournament but did not make the all-tournament team. He never led Georgetown to an NCAA championship. When he graduated he was viewed as a challenge player based on coach John Thompson's comments about his lack of 'team' ethics.

One other aspect about his practice time. According to the local sports talk guys and columnists, when Iverson does show up to practice, there are times when he just sits and watches or goes to one end and shoots the ball alone for about 15 minutes. Working with the team is not an Iverson priority.

I also do not feel he is a poster boy for what is wrong with the NBA. I do not feel he is wrong for the NBA at all, just wrong for the Sixers.

i think your comments about what he's done in the nba are right on point. my dad is from the philly area and still lives there, i haven't talked to him yet about this situation but i know he has said that philly fans have warmed to iverson over the years, albeit slowly. Winning cures everything y'know. last year they won. this year they didn't. I'd like to hear what dad has to say about how the fans are feeling about ai now.

One note, iverson played at g'town only two years before turning pro. Duke's Shane Battier was the ideal team player in college and after his sophomore year, he hadn't won a title either, despite playing on two teams LOADED w/talent.