I am not a person who generally supports the me-first mentality of some superstars and I can't stand the bravado and "street cred" that so many athletes get from seven-figure contracts mixed with the overcoming of a troubled past. Fame and fortune is a way out, not a means to glorify your past and get away with more.
In that regard, I should hold Iverson in the same category as Pacman Jones, Mike Vick, Stephen Jackson and others. By most interview accounts over the past 48 hours, he's been called a locker room distraction (cancer, by some), selfish and an ego-maniac. But for some reason, I am going to miss the AI of old and hope he gets a little respect in the future. Yes, I understand this is hypocritical of me, but something about him makes me empathize. Why? Here are my reasons...
#1 - He gave us this...
This is the most brilliant press conference of all time, hands down. Jim Mora's 'PLAYOFFS' have nothing on that. Neither does Dennis Green. Mike Gundy is just a 40-year-old man. And the entire career of Mike Tyson was good, but too crazy to really top the above clip. Why is it Youtube gold? Because it's funny, but it's real. Real, real son. Iverson was honestly flabbergasted by the questioning of practice. Because to him, practice was like a routine trip to the bathroom. You have to go, but you just sort of let nature takes its course and move on with your life. In this day and age of politically correct quotes and not opening yourself up, this was the epitome of what fans wanted to hear. I've heard him later say that he wishes he hadn't said those words in that press conference because of the attention it has brought him, but c'mon AI, that was real... which leads to number two...
#2 He loved to play ball
Okay, so the press conference above serves my own entertainment appetites, but AI officially earned my lifelong appreciation during the Olympic debacle of 2004. USA basketball was at its lowest point. Coming off the disaster at the World Championship in 2002 (no medal), the stage was even bigger in Greece. Go back and watch some of those games. Carmelo was so far down Larry Brown's bench, he could fish in the Aegean. Tim Duncan was planning his defection to the Virgin Islands. LeBron was still in diapers by NBA standards. And the US team made Sarunas Jasikevicius worthy of a hideous NBA deal with the Pacers. Ugh.
Then there was AI. He played with pride, hurt, and willed that team to a couple of close wins. He had no business being the leader on that roster, but somehow filled the void left by a bunch of teenagers and zipped-mouth post players. I actually haven't seen a clip of those games (Jerry Colangelo burned the tapes when he took over), but I'll always remember the only basketball pride I felt as an American was watching AI play in those games.
#3 Dude is tiny
Okay, so this isn't a great qualification, but deserves some merit. Anybody who knows me has no doubt heard the story of how I have been a centimeter shy of 6-feet since I was about 13-years-old. Wah Wah Wah. So, I have wannabe big man syndrome and have always thought of myself as tall. But, in reality, I am probably taller than half of my friends. What does this all mean?
The NBA is full of freaks. The top 1% of the population when it comes to height, length and athleticism. Iverson is one of probably 10 players in the last 15 years who is honestly smaller than me. I can't fathom an 82-game schedule plus the playoffs at his size when you have to be the sole offensive weapon for your team. Maybe the tattoos were to cover up the bruising. Maybe I actually have short-person syndrome too. Hmmm
I know, I know. Does Iverson really deserve this many words of praise? Maybe not. But, when I saw the news creep across the bottom line, I immediately thought that the end was here for him, and it made me sad. In the post-Jordan era of the NBA, scoring point guards became the flavor. AI started the trend, and rolled it into Starbury, Stevie Franchise, Baron Davis and others. Yikes! Outside of Baron, you can see why teams now favor Steve Nash and Chris Paul over the scoring type.
So long, AI. Feel free to take the next few practices off.
- Will
No comments:
Post a Comment