Allen
Iverson was perhaps the biggest little man to ever play the game of basketball.
The 6’0, 165 pound shooting guard will forever be mentioned with the likes of
Kareem and Jordan as one of the National Basketball Association’s (NBA)
greatest scorers. The former number one overall pick of the Philadelphia 76ers
is a former MVP, rookie of the year, four-time scoring champion, eleven-time
all-star, two-time all-star game MVP, three-time steals leader, and three-time
all-NBA first team member. His accolades do not even do the undersized, overly-skilled
competitor justice. Iverson was a winner. He carried a team solely of role
players to the NBA Finals in 2001, when Kobe, Shaq and the dominant Lakers
crushed his chances at a ring in five games. Success on the hardwood came easy
to him. It was on game day that he shined the brightest.
While
Allen Ezail Iverson had all the answers on the court, hence his nickname “The
Answer,” questions have never been his forte. The questions of reporters, in particular,
rarely seemed to sit well with him. More specifically, questions about his
practice habits, which were not the most admirable, really struck a nerve in his mind.
On
May 7, 2002, Allen Iverson’s intentionality on the practice court was publically
called into question by NBA reporters in a post-game interview. When it was
mentioned that he showed late to a practice, Iverson erupted. He responded by glaring at the helpless
reporter and barking back: “How the hell am I supposed to make my teammates
better by practice?” Apparently, practice was of very little use to the
superstar.
Those who valued practice seemed to have appeared delusional to Iverson. Out of clear frustration, he continued on a rant (now famous on all sports blooper television shows) in which he used the word practice 24 and a half times. In the last instance he could not finish the word because he was in such a state of vexation that he needed to pause midway. Few scholars believe Iverson was trying to impress linguists with his use of repetition as a literary device. Nevertheless, the passion and distinct emphasis dedicated toward the word “practice” was present when he continued his verbal assault on reporters who questioned his motivation for improving daily: “I’m supposed to be the franchise player, and we’re talkin’ about practice. How silly is that?” He found both a great deal of frustration and humor in the questions asked of him. As a result, he held nothing back and responded with questions of his own.
In analyzing Iverson’s mentality in regards to practice via his interview and his exceptional play on gameday, maybe athletes around the world can take one controversial idea from “The Answer”: Maybe practice doesn’t make perfect.
Those who valued practice seemed to have appeared delusional to Iverson. Out of clear frustration, he continued on a rant (now famous on all sports blooper television shows) in which he used the word practice 24 and a half times. In the last instance he could not finish the word because he was in such a state of vexation that he needed to pause midway. Few scholars believe Iverson was trying to impress linguists with his use of repetition as a literary device. Nevertheless, the passion and distinct emphasis dedicated toward the word “practice” was present when he continued his verbal assault on reporters who questioned his motivation for improving daily: “I’m supposed to be the franchise player, and we’re talkin’ about practice. How silly is that?” He found both a great deal of frustration and humor in the questions asked of him. As a result, he held nothing back and responded with questions of his own.
In analyzing Iverson’s mentality in regards to practice via his interview and his exceptional play on gameday, maybe athletes around the world can take one controversial idea from “The Answer”: Maybe practice doesn’t make perfect.
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