Thanks to Allen Iverson, today is the 21st anniversary of one of the most famous sports press conferences of all-time.
In what was something of an exit interview after the 2002 season, Iverson sat at the microphone in front of Philadelphia reporters. The 76ers had just been beaten in the first round of the playoffs a year after making an NBA Finals appearance, and spirits were low. There were apparently rumors about the team trading the superstar point guard, which added fuel to the fire that burned from the disappointment of the season.
Allen Iverson Explains His Press Conference From 21 Years Ago
"We talking about practice man."
On this day 21 years ago, Allen Iverson let the Philadelphia media have it with his infamous practice rant 🗣️pic.twitter.com/NCHxVLRBiH
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 7, 2023
There was turmoil between the player and his head coach Larry Brown, who was at odds with Iverson over being late for team meetings and his dedication to practices. Reporters at the press conference hounded Iverson with questions about his work ethic and habits, and his quote would live on forever in infamy:
“We sitting in here — I’m supposed to be the franchise player, and we in here talking about practice. I mean, listen: We talking about practice. Not a game. Not a game. Not a game. We talking about practice. Not a game. Not the game that I go out there and die for and play every game like it’s my last. Not the game. We talking about practice, man.”
They were words that rang for weeks and months, and even became synonymous with Iverson himself. He may be better known for his on-court dominance and off-court style, but the “Talking About Practice” rings bells across the sports world.
There is more to the story than just being upset with the media and tired of his head coach, according to Allen Iverson himself.
— All the Smoke Productions (@allthesmokeprod) May 7, 2023
On an episode of All The Smoke with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, Iverson went into detail about things that were happening in his personal life that carried over in his emotions during the press conference.
An off-court situation involving the death of his good friend had Iverson already shaken, combined with the failures of the basketball season, his potential trade status, and the media hounding him ultimately caused the outburst.
“Everyone thinks it’s funny but me,” Iverson said
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