Allen Iverson opens up about his practice habits: "I didn't give a fu*k about drills"
Allen Iverson talks about his NBA practice habits
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
"Somebody'll come up to me and be like, 'Practice' and I'd look at him like, 'Is that all you can come up with? You can't be a little bit more original than that?'"
For all Allen Iverson's NBA accomplishments, most of the fans can't. Almost two decades removed from it, and the Hall of Famer still hasn't escaped his iconic practice rant. Shedding light on it didn't help either.
"I don't give a fu*k about drills"
There's much more to the story than the word "practice" being repeated 22 times. And while it perfectly encapsulated Iverson for all that he was -- authentic, passionate, misunderstood -- the Sixers' legend still doesn't find it funny.
However, he does validate the message behind it; for all his greatness, Iverson did have bad practice habits.
"I didn't give a fu*k about drills," A.I. said. "But if you play five on five, then I'm ready. I want to do that. Throw the ball up and let's go. That was my thing."
NBA teams usually don't practice as much during the regular season, nor did they while Iverson was playing. But even the nondemanding coaches require a certain number of training sessions to maintain consistency. Not to mention all the work players put in on their own initiative.
Recommended Articles
Iverson never cared about that. Outside of actual games, he prioritized other things that derived from being an NBA superstar.
I had a pattern of skipping [practice]. Sometimes I was out too late and when I come in there I don't feel like it. I'm a man, I'm a human.
Allen Iverson, Geto Boys Reloaded
Looking back on it -- no regrets
"I was not Kobe," A.I. continued. "Kobe was something else. He was the guy, like I said, when we were in the club, that motherfu*ker was in the gym. And that's what separated him from a whole lot of dudes, including myself."
Even with a selective dedication to everything outside of game minutes, Iverson still became one of basketball's all-time greats. But even he can't help but wonder how different his career would've been had he matched the discipline level of guys like Kobe Bryant.
"What if I woulda lift weights? What if I woulda dedicated myself more? But, I did a lot. I dedicated myself a lot to be who I am. I did a lot."
Allen Iverson, Geto Boys Reloaded
For fans who followed Iverson and read the stories about his lack of discipline, "a lot" might not be good enough. However, A.I. has no regrets looking back on his NBA run.
"I was just living my life, being happy," he said. "I did what I wanted to do. I'ma do that until I'm gone. Do I make mistakes, do I fu*k up? Hell yeah. Do I wish wouldn't have did this and did that? Yeah. But what the fu*k can I do, I can't do nothing else but be me. And be happy as a motherfu*ker."
As long as he has his family, his homeboys, and people that love him for who he is, Iverson will continue to be happy. All the other stuff, stuff the NBA community keeps talking about, doesn't seem to bother the Sixers legend.
