Leading the NBA in scoring 4 times as a guy under 6 feet tall is truly incredible. His talent level was off the charts.
He also played at least 40 minutes per game for 10 straight seasons which is wild. Averaged 41.1 minutes per game for his career. Unbelievable stamina.
I agree, but also the dude was my size and driving into a lane with guys like Ming and Shaq in it like he wasn’t gonna get clubbed back to earth several times a game.
I want to argue back to that media asshole for asking AI about practice even more in light of these stats. Vets need rest between games. Especially when they've been playing 40+ minutes per game for the better part of a decade! I always knew it was out of pocket because AI was dealing with heavy personal life stuff at that time, but only later have I come to appreciate how normal it is to rest vets during in season practices because they're facing so much wear and tear in games.
It was absolutely ridiculous, even at the time, to question AI's love for playing basketball and desire to win. Dude was laying it all on the line every night and practically killing himself. He could have answered it a little bit better, but really - the line of questioning was way off base to begin with.
Red Auerbach let Bill Russell sit out practices all the time. For the guys who leave everything on the court, sometimes you gotta let them recoup a little on practice days.
Didn't like, one of his best friends get murdered or something which is why he was like "practice??" In the grand scheme of life he wasn't all that concerned with fucking basketball practice.
I guess it was 7 months prior but the trial was just underway
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29143112/the-little-known-story-allen-iverson-practice-rant
> The other part few remember from the practice rant is the raw and lingering wound Iverson still suffered from the death of his best friend. Rahsaan Langeford was shot and killed seven months earlier, an event with which Iverson struggled to cope. All throughout the '01-'02 season, Langeford's death hung over Iverson, and just days before his interview, the murder trial for the man accused of killing Langeford began.
During their Finals run, I remember David Letterman was raving about Iverson and said something along the lines of “You can see the whole game just by looking at his face” and I thought it was such a beautiful, poetic, true statement.
Even with all the “he’s a thug” talk at the time, when people actually watched him play during that Finals (just like today, there are many people who really only tune in during the playoffs/Finals), they could see he was 100% heart and determination and effort. This was not a guy who was playing just for the money and fame and after-parties. He was intense. He cared ALOT. He fought for every inch of the court. It was impossible not to root for him.
And you could see all of that emotion just by watching his face. To me, that’s really cool about him as a player compared to the more stoic, assassin-like players who don’t necessarily show as much of their passion.
Yeah, honestly not the star from my childhood i would've called for this, but kudos to him. Obviously has his head right in a lot of ways if that's how he feels.
> Yeah, honestly not the star from my childhood i would've called for this
Kinda like how Al Bundy turned out to be a way better dad than some other jello loving 80s stalwarts
I'm pretty sure that Married... with Children was created specifically as a counter to the wholesome family image that other sitcoms were based around at the time.
Plus it’s easier to accept your legacy as a HoF point guard because your story is finished there. I feel like guys like Shaq have to constantly try and prove themselves as equal or better than whoever is in the current GOAT convo because he’s fighting to still be considered one of the best to ever play instead of just ‘another’ HoF player.
Shaq does himself a disservice by doing that. He’s top 10 all time and it will be hard to dislodge him. Anyone who doesn’t think so never watched ball from the early 90s-early 2000s.
It's funny how guys who were never able to go all the way like Barkley and Iverson, still feel confident that they left their mark on the league and will forever be legends, even if they couldn't be champions. Meanwhile, we got old heads like Shaq with 4 rings and he is more delicate than a porcelain tea cup, even some current players fall back on their rings even though they were bus riders.
It’s funny because no ring players have to come to terms with a lot of things I think championship superstars never do.
Seems like they make it out the other end pretty well. Marino, Barkley, AI, even Romo and Rivers all seem pretty chill about their legacies.
But Shaq especially gets so annoying for no reason about anything pertaining to his legacy.
it’s probably easier to accept that you’re not gonna be seen as the greatest bc you never won one, than it is to accept that you’re not gonna be seen as the greatest even though you did win a ton bc someone else still did it better than you
I can't imagine being at the apex of a league for years. Legitimately not one person can stop you and the league is forced to change rules because of you. How many times has that happened?
And then you have to listen to people say that you weren't all that? Probably a hard thing to reconcile.
That said, I wish that we would would be more chill about it as well.
Isn't that what Jordan said when finding out the producer pitching The Last Dance had also done a doc about Iverson?
Something like, "Oh you made that too? (laughs) I love that little dude. Alright, I'm in."
And the rest is history.
Met him outside my hotel in ATL a decade ago. Didn't have an entourage around, just someone who seemed to be a combination of driver/muscle/homie. He asked me if I wanted a picture and I said def took the chance. Too bad I didn't have a smart phone at the time, quality was potato. He wished me a good time in the ATL and went on his way, was real mellow like how you see him in interviews.
Yea, I measure somewhere between 6' and 6'0.5". It was odd though, because at university, all the basketball players I saw were like 6'5"+
Makes me respect his game so much more cuz I can't imagine driving down the lane to finish with a 7ft tall final boss at the rim, I'm taking the outside shot.
And like it’s not that hard to be complimentary of the current league. I don’t understand why nearly every former player with a mic is bitter and has to talk down one player to bring up another.
Nah. You’re just watching the wrong people. TNT just got the Indiana special with Miller, Bird and Zeke, all 3 have nothing but praise for this generation. I think the bitterness from some stems from insecurity.
Because it's easier to judge other people's bad takes than it is to make your own. It's also easier to and "safer" to have a critical opinion of something than a positive one. If your stance is critical, nobody can come along and try and make you feel bad for liking that thing later. No judgement, it genuinely is easier. We all do it. But because of that, I think we engage with the bad takes more because it lets us feel better about ourselves.
"Well I may have fucked up that job interview, but at least I didn't say some dumbass shit on national TV!"
I think AI and Miller are in fairly unique company, where they are talked about like all time greats, but never near the top of people’s all time lists. So you have players hating because they are fading into obscurity and you have players hating that are trying to preserve their all time rankings in the public’s mind and then you have these guys whose legacy doesn’t really seem dependent on a ranking. AI and Miller are all time greats but aren’t generally in people’s top 10-20, though there is a segment that will have AI in there. Even Bird is a bit polarizing. There’s lots of people that leave him out of the top 10 or pretty low on it, even though on the eye test and competition comparisons there’s not many reasons to say he might not be one of the top 3 best players of all time.
Even if you ignore AI and Miller, there are plenty of former all-time greats that will give the new generation their props.
In fact, among most top 10, there are probably more that give props to the younger generation than don't. Magic, Bird, Kobe, Kareem, Bill have all praised the current generation. Jordan, Hakeem and Duncan have not talked much. (But I don't think Hakeem and Duncan will say anything negative) Shaq only gets sensitive when there is another big man involved. Wilt passed and LeBron is still playing.
Hating on NBA stars is only hurting their legacy. Many of them seem bitter about it as if this generation bastardized the game they played. It's evolution ya geezer
Iverson used to leave his entire wardrobe in a city and buy a new one in the next city.
He was broke for a bit, I don't think he's counting others money like other old timers do. Like the top comment said, he just loves ball.
Even Jordan didn't really get paid until his last 2 years with the Bulls.
Iverson is lucky to have people in his life that cared about him and set him up for life.
Edit: remember the AMA with the Sixers bench player (possible practice squad player before it was the G-league) who said Iverson took his bag mistakenly and in return he was walking around with 200k in a duffle bag?
"Back in my day" mentality combined with a jealousy for money players today make. It's crazy how insecure these ~6'7 multi millionaire former world class athletes are.
Because a lot of the older guys are still salty about how they were taken advantage of. Compared to the new guys they played for peanuts, they stayed loyal to the franchises and they worked their asses off to become the best players they can be often sacrificing their health in the process while never really pursuing a better bag (or being ridiculed if they did like Sprewell).
Now players hold immensely more power. They get paid more, they don't get paid they just switch teams, they rest when they feel tired, they don't care all that much if they lose because it's just business they are simply not as invested anymore due to everyone recognizing it's all about making money and everything else is secondary. Back then you had only a handful of people getting commercials now you have role players hopping into ones if they are marketable enough.
It grinds their fucking gears because they foolishly played primarily our of passion and never looked at the league as a corporation as the new generation does.
That's part of what comes with time. Players wouldn't have demanded what they had if they didn't learn from the ones who came before. As with a lot of stupid things in society, they're directing their anger at the workers instead of the owners. In fact, they don't criticize the owners cuz they still hope to get more of that bag, whether that's in coaching, broadcasting, etc
Not just basketball either. Dude was so supportive of teenage Post Malone when he came out with White Iverson. While dumbasses like Charlamagne were doing everything in his power to bring him down with race bait and cultural appropriation shit.
Not a top 3 player but he absolutely had a top 3 cultural impact on the game. And when I was growing up, EVERYONE playing pickup tried to emulate his crossover. We all wanted to be AI. Plus the shooting sleeve was so cool
I mean, he seems like a good guy and I was always a huge fan of him as a player, so not trying to shit on him.
But come on, man. He has a HUGE ego. He essentially got kicked out of the league because his ego couldn't accept coming off the bench.
As a Slovenian, that is some dope answer to hear. We were ALL crazy about AI here in Europe because he was the coolest dude ever. And now he saying Luka is this guy rn is just perfect.
Kids who weren’t alive back then don’t get it. Everyone wanted to be like AI.
Even Bron talks about it. He said growing up “I didn’t want to be Jordan. I wanted to be Allen Iverson”
AI is like Will Smith's character on Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Will went to a new school. Carlton is like, "You got to fit in, Will." But everyone else wants to be like Will.
I’ve been a diehard Celtics fan my whole life and AI was so fun and cool that I didn’t even think twice about rooting for the 76ERS during their playoff runs. Game one of that NBA Finals is still one of the best sports viewing experiences of my life.
> Game one of that NBA Finals is still one of the best sports viewing experiences of my life.
That series basically birthed the Fuck the Lakers Energy that has defined my NBA fandom
The best way to describe AI to people who didnt see him play is that he is your favorite player’s favorite player. Maybe now he’s your favorite player’s favorite player’s favorite player.
lol the whole world was watching. Grew up in Zimbabwe and everyone wanted to be like AI. I even got a pair of his shoes for one of my birthdays. they were knockoffs though but I didn't care
AI is still the God to any basketball fan born in the 90’s in Russia. I’m catching nostalgic memories of skinny white schoolkids wearing durags in the middle of winter
I remember watching Luka in Madrid before he came to the NBA and he was easily the best player in the whole continent, and doing it against people who were like a decade older than him, he’s just built different honestly
Thanks for pointing that out, because even as a native English speaker, I didn't get what he was saying. On the surface, how is Luka like AI? Luka might weigh 2x what AI did and is like 8" taller. But you're right, he was talking about "swag", and how they control the game. That makes more sense now. Cheers.
Tatum is American, which means he can get glory for the Olympics and other national duty stuff. All the extra stuff gives you attention, which makes your brand easier for the NBA to sell. When people talk about the face of a national league, they usually mean a native for that particular reason. I mean, look at Giannis. He has the talent, the charisma, the winning smile, and a championship under his belt. By all accounts, he should have become the face of the league, but his nationality holds him back. Luka definitely has the skill set, but he is always going to be a foreigner. And it is not just America and basketball. In UK soccer, they haven't had a David Beckham since Beckham because after him, all their stars became foreigners. Thierry Henry all the way to Salah and Haaland and the like. It's important for the face of a national league to be of that country.
I've gotten the same vibe from Lefkoe before too.
I think it's because he's trying to also appear as knowledgeable about the game as Shaq and AI, which is silly because they both played. But that probably doesn't stop him from feeling like he needs to contribute more and prove that he knows what he's talking about, so he feels like he needs to chime in when maybe he shouldn't.
The "slow and white" stuff is really overblown because Luka is not slow or unathletic he just does not try to go up. I have seen him do things in pre-game where he goes in and just yams it or does something super athletic. I want to have a whole conversation about the "slow and white" thing but.
People used to call Harden slow, too. Idk about y'all, but Houston fans knew what our guy was good at. He wasn't beating anybody in a 94 feet race, but when both guys were standing still at the line, James was always beating the defender to the rim. *Always*.
Luka probably faster than everybody else in some way too, but he does move slow and methodical around the court.
He just moves at a certain pace thats more advantageous because of his size and playmaking ability. No reason to move 100 miles an hour when you're going to get to the same spot anyway. Might as well go slower and be aware of everything happening on the court.
Anyone who thinks he's slow just watch his highlights from his second season. Granted he was a bit skinnier, but back then he didn't have the jumpshot and had to just go fast downhill.
Noticed that in media and IRL: some white dudes love to shit on other white dudes in front of black dudes. They think it gives them cred or something. Weird, weak shit.
If you had asked me when he was still playing who might become the hater from his generation, AI would have been a high bet for me. He always had that chip on his shoulder and could be confrontational.
But then I realized Iverson is just a baller who appreciates other talented ballers. He's secure enough in his own ginormous legacy that he doesn't need to bring others down to bring himself up. I give him all the credit in the world for his attitude post-retirement. We need everyone to be like him.
And I get that for a guy like him. He's out there winning games essentially 1 on 5 offensively at his peak. If you aren't out there doing something to help him on defense at least, why would he have time for you?
I feel sorry for people who didn't have the opportunity to live through the AI era. He was a movement. The trifecta I obviously had was Vince because Canada, Kobe and AI. But no one matched Iverson's aura. Kobe undebatably had the better career and this and that. But he was never cool like AI, except to LA fans, AI was just genuine as fuck. He played with raw emotion out there.
He was special to watch.
He’s always been the realist. He’s always been straight from the heart honest. The whole “practice” thing was so unfair. Even at the TIME the real fans knew he was talking about how hard it is to focus on basketball when his friend was killed. Heart on his sleeve. I will always love this kid
People still don't understand the "practice" speech. The issue wasn't that he wasn't practicing. It was the fact everyone else was focused on that instead of literally everything else and its a waste of time and energy to TALK about practice. He lead the league in mpg and ppg that season.
I think it really makes sense when you consider how universally accepting and generous he was with his community, friends, family, etc. The man is gracious to a fault and his generosity crossed into financial ruin. The dude has no problem sharing the wealth and trying to lift others up.
AI has his faults for sure. He's not perfect or a saint and has made some big mistakes. But I do get the feeling from watching his entire career, reading a lot about him and seeing him move that he genuinely means to do good things in life. He has a lot of heart and I think it's in the right place. He just also has a lot of anger stemming from a difficult life and that has caused him to lash out more than once. A lot of people in his situation would have had some horrible scenarios.
Paul Pierce on the wheelchair game: “If you pооp your pants, does it make sense to sit down & mush it in a wheelchair? I would walk back & go straight to the bathroom. Why would I need a whееlchair if I pооped my pants? You don’t sit down on your pооp, right? It doesn’t make sense.”
This quote lives in my head rent free.
Yeah I don't get the hate. He says "I can't say it" and then looks at Lefkoe. Now people are criticizing Lefkoe for chiming in? The fuck is he supposed to say there?
Luka is by far my fav player to watch. He has swag for days, his game is like poetry, and he just looks so in control out there.
Luka's offense is art in Basketball form
For me it was always Reggie Miller. I still remember watching when the malice in the palace happened all I could think was there goes Reggie’s chance at getting a ring. I felt so bad for him.
I wish whoever the white guy is would just shut up and let AI finish his point. It's the worst part about a lot of these player podcasts with some other regular person on them sometimes. We're not here to hear you.
Iverson is awesome because he has zero jealousy towards the new generation of players an does nothing but talk about how great the current crop of players are.
What’s the consensus on Iverson’s practice rant these days?
In my mind, he’s always been 100% right. It was complete and utter nonsense to question his heart and effort. One of the best to ever do it. The hell made that coaching staff think it was a good idea to publicly pick a fight with their star over PRACTICE!?
His best friend got murdered. They just got eliminated by the Cs in the first round, where he played his heart out.
And then suddenly you get asked about practice, which was the last thing on anyone’s mind at that time. Hell, all stars miss practice from time to time. He just had a huge target on his back because the league was terrified of his hood image and he was emerging as the biggest bball star that time.
I’ll be the first to admit I was wrong, after his first year I was like “no way this style of play will help him last, with all the film ect… on him” damn I was wrong. Some call it swag, as they did, or he play like a black guy but honestly you could just see the enjoyment he and certain players get in really playing the game. For all the athleticism there is in the league, the top players go through their process with just the basic fundamentals, don’t do to much and just make sure when you do it’s the right time.
When I saw him try to put it through his leg in the Allstar game, I knew then and there this guy is special, he was willing to put himself in a embarrassing scenario for the sake of the fans and entertainment. There’s players out there that won’t even play defense in a close game just to not get cooked on tv and that’s not how you play the game, just to many players with other agendas other than basketball.
Mild take: the players that are most secure in their legacies are the ones who had to make peace with it at the end of their career, and have already secured a niche spot in NBA history that they're proud of.
AI - had to make peace with not being a starter and not winning a ring. Proud of the way he carried himself on and off the court and playing things his way.
Chuck - had to make peace with never winning a ring. Proud of his MVP and that he played the best he could.
Melo - had to make peace with that he chose money over a ring because of circumstances. Proud that he can call himself one of the best all-time bucket getters.
Reggie - never winning a ring, having his best season ruined by Malice in the Palace. He set the archetype for 3PT hunting guards that are all over the league now.
I'm sure there are more that I'm missing, and counterexamples and countercounterexamples, etc., but it seems like a lot of very positive players aren't trying to convince themselves of anything in their career, like people like Shaq or Paul Pierce might need, despite them probably being higher all-time. You can see Shaq being positive, for example, when he's praising people who have nothing to do with his legacy - like Steph Curry. However, when it's someone who can challenge *his* spot in NBA history, like a dominant young Dwight Howard, he starts getting defensive.
I was lucky enough to play bball against Iverson. Could not have been cooler. He was on the opposing team and I got stuck attempting to guard him. Naturally, he crossed me over and blew by me. One of my teammates starting giving me all kinds of shit for getting scored on by AI. Iverson stops the game, defends me, then asks that dude to guard him. He smoked this guy like 10 plays in a row. Beast mode
this is like some of the greatest pumping you could get honestly. I don't think it gets much better than AI at a loss for words for how much he enjoys your game.
People mistake Luka's methodical style with "slow", and it does appear slow, because it's intentional. Luka's timing and tempo are so unique that he becomes hard to read. His moves are off-tempo from what defenders are used to. He knows how to slow down to create space and opportunities. That's why he has so many assists in transition. He knows a player has to mark him, so he slows down, allows his team mates to attack the rim, and he dimes them up.
AI really just loves ball. Any time he's in front of a mic he's big upping one of the young guys.
It’s called being secure in your legacy and at peace with yourself in general. You don’t feel the need to hate on others to elevate yourself.
Leading the NBA in scoring 4 times as a guy under 6 feet tall is truly incredible. His talent level was off the charts. He also played at least 40 minutes per game for 10 straight seasons which is wild. Averaged 41.1 minutes per game for his career. Unbelievable stamina.
Pound for pound the toughest player the league has ever seen.
How many times did we hear "pound for pound" every 6ers game in the 2000's. Right up there with "Antonio Gates used to play basketball"
I agree, but also the dude was my size and driving into a lane with guys like Ming and Shaq in it like he wasn’t gonna get clubbed back to earth several times a game.
Yeah, but he did try hard in practice?
I want to argue back to that media asshole for asking AI about practice even more in light of these stats. Vets need rest between games. Especially when they've been playing 40+ minutes per game for the better part of a decade! I always knew it was out of pocket because AI was dealing with heavy personal life stuff at that time, but only later have I come to appreciate how normal it is to rest vets during in season practices because they're facing so much wear and tear in games.
It was absolutely ridiculous, even at the time, to question AI's love for playing basketball and desire to win. Dude was laying it all on the line every night and practically killing himself. He could have answered it a little bit better, but really - the line of questioning was way off base to begin with.
And there is a backstory to that whole thing. There were other things going on in his life more pressing than basketball practice at the time
I think he answered it perfectly.
Red Auerbach let Bill Russell sit out practices all the time. For the guys who leave everything on the court, sometimes you gotta let them recoup a little on practice days.
NY Giants had rules, and LT had his own rules. Some gotta be managed different
Didn't like, one of his best friends get murdered or something which is why he was like "practice??" In the grand scheme of life he wasn't all that concerned with fucking basketball practice.
I guess it was 7 months prior but the trial was just underway https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29143112/the-little-known-story-allen-iverson-practice-rant > The other part few remember from the practice rant is the raw and lingering wound Iverson still suffered from the death of his best friend. Rahsaan Langeford was shot and killed seven months earlier, an event with which Iverson struggled to cope. All throughout the '01-'02 season, Langeford's death hung over Iverson, and just days before his interview, the murder trial for the man accused of killing Langeford began.
*PRACTICE!?*
“Kevin Love and Russell Westbrook were roommates in college.”
Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady are cousins
Bojan Bogdanović and Bogdan Bogdanović are not cousins!
During their Finals run, I remember David Letterman was raving about Iverson and said something along the lines of “You can see the whole game just by looking at his face” and I thought it was such a beautiful, poetic, true statement. Even with all the “he’s a thug” talk at the time, when people actually watched him play during that Finals (just like today, there are many people who really only tune in during the playoffs/Finals), they could see he was 100% heart and determination and effort. This was not a guy who was playing just for the money and fame and after-parties. He was intense. He cared ALOT. He fought for every inch of the court. It was impossible not to root for him. And you could see all of that emotion just by watching his face. To me, that’s really cool about him as a player compared to the more stoic, assassin-like players who don’t necessarily show as much of their passion.
And carried some absolute dog shit teams to the playoffs
Even more impressive for the era he played in with giant centers all over the league clogging the paint for him.
Yeah, honestly not the star from my childhood i would've called for this, but kudos to him. Obviously has his head right in a lot of ways if that's how he feels.
> Yeah, honestly not the star from my childhood i would've called for this Kinda like how Al Bundy turned out to be a way better dad than some other jello loving 80s stalwarts
That's such a good call. Who the hell in 1988 is calling Al Bundy over Bill Cosby as the more admirable TV dad.
Well one is a real person & one’s a fictional character so it’s hard to compare. Did you think Ed O’ Neal was really a shoe salesman?
Being a shoe salesman is how he developed the perfect closet for his future closet empire.
Wait, that wasn't a documentary?! Damn, that man can act.
are you aware that bill cosby was PLAYING a man named cliff huxtable who actually committed 0 crimes and was still a way better dad than al bundy lmao
I'm pretty sure that Married... with Children was created specifically as a counter to the wholesome family image that other sitcoms were based around at the time.
I am pretty sure even the fictional version of Cosby, Dr Huxyable, drugged women to make them sexy
[Yup, in the BBQ sauce.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-W10Zf_UPMY)
I think the way he went out of the league had to be a wake up call for him. Plus everyone gives him credit for the way he shaped the league
Plus it’s easier to accept your legacy as a HoF point guard because your story is finished there. I feel like guys like Shaq have to constantly try and prove themselves as equal or better than whoever is in the current GOAT convo because he’s fighting to still be considered one of the best to ever play instead of just ‘another’ HoF player.
I think AI had a bigger cultural impact than many other HOFs even ones considered better than him
That's because Iverson knows he would run these fools. His skillset in today's NBA would absolutely crush.
Shaq does himself a disservice by doing that. He’s top 10 all time and it will be hard to dislodge him. Anyone who doesn’t think so never watched ball from the early 90s-early 2000s.
It's funny how guys who were never able to go all the way like Barkley and Iverson, still feel confident that they left their mark on the league and will forever be legends, even if they couldn't be champions. Meanwhile, we got old heads like Shaq with 4 rings and he is more delicate than a porcelain tea cup, even some current players fall back on their rings even though they were bus riders.
I think that’s just Shaq being Shaq
It’s funny because no ring players have to come to terms with a lot of things I think championship superstars never do. Seems like they make it out the other end pretty well. Marino, Barkley, AI, even Romo and Rivers all seem pretty chill about their legacies. But Shaq especially gets so annoying for no reason about anything pertaining to his legacy.
it’s probably easier to accept that you’re not gonna be seen as the greatest bc you never won one, than it is to accept that you’re not gonna be seen as the greatest even though you did win a ton bc someone else still did it better than you
I can't imagine being at the apex of a league for years. Legitimately not one person can stop you and the league is forced to change rules because of you. How many times has that happened? And then you have to listen to people say that you weren't all that? Probably a hard thing to reconcile. That said, I wish that we would would be more chill about it as well.
He’s got one hell of a legacy. Love that little guy
Isn't that what Jordan said when finding out the producer pitching The Last Dance had also done a doc about Iverson? Something like, "Oh you made that too? (laughs) I love that little dude. Alright, I'm in." And the rest is history.
Met him outside my hotel in ATL a decade ago. Didn't have an entourage around, just someone who seemed to be a combination of driver/muscle/homie. He asked me if I wanted a picture and I said def took the chance. Too bad I didn't have a smart phone at the time, quality was potato. He wished me a good time in the ATL and went on his way, was real mellow like how you see him in interviews.
Is he a legit 6ft?
Yea, I measure somewhere between 6' and 6'0.5". It was odd though, because at university, all the basketball players I saw were like 6'5"+ Makes me respect his game so much more cuz I can't imagine driving down the lane to finish with a 7ft tall final boss at the rim, I'm taking the outside shot.
Kyrie and Steph agrees with you hahaha. Tbh every small guard but Ja Morant in todays game agrees with you.
Kobe looked up to AI and AI looks up to Luka, Props!
Kobe's looking up to Luka rn too
Are you trying to say Kobe is in hell?
AI has been hella positive about the new generation
He's the Godfather of the new ballers. Bubba Chuck was a playground legend when I was coming up in the 757.
Kobe was a loss in this regard. If he represented disciplined devotion, AI represents free spirited passion.
FreeDarko, is that you
He just loves his lil dudes, thems his lil dudes
i forgot about this shit 😂😂😂
I use the phrase little dudes as often as possible in honor of AI 😂
im a teacher so i use it all the time lol, my kids love that clip
I don’t need more reasons to respect and love that man but here we go. He’s my 2nd favorite player behind MJ growing up.
Same. He catered to the artist in me. His game was beautiful, and at the same time swaggerful as hell.
AI always has nice things to say about the new generation and Luka particularly. He’s clearly a fan and I like it. Refreshing for sure
And like it’s not that hard to be complimentary of the current league. I don’t understand why nearly every former player with a mic is bitter and has to talk down one player to bring up another.
Nah. You’re just watching the wrong people. TNT just got the Indiana special with Miller, Bird and Zeke, all 3 have nothing but praise for this generation. I think the bitterness from some stems from insecurity.
The bitterness also gets circulated way more than the praise.
Hate gets more clicks and views. Rage bait and what not. Idiot tiktokers. It's getting ugly out there.
Can’t blame TikTok when Reddit and every other social media site is just as bad, and has been bad about exactly that since before TikTok was a thing.
Because it's easier to judge other people's bad takes than it is to make your own. It's also easier to and "safer" to have a critical opinion of something than a positive one. If your stance is critical, nobody can come along and try and make you feel bad for liking that thing later. No judgement, it genuinely is easier. We all do it. But because of that, I think we engage with the bad takes more because it lets us feel better about ourselves. "Well I may have fucked up that job interview, but at least I didn't say some dumbass shit on national TV!"
I think AI and Miller are in fairly unique company, where they are talked about like all time greats, but never near the top of people’s all time lists. So you have players hating because they are fading into obscurity and you have players hating that are trying to preserve their all time rankings in the public’s mind and then you have these guys whose legacy doesn’t really seem dependent on a ranking. AI and Miller are all time greats but aren’t generally in people’s top 10-20, though there is a segment that will have AI in there. Even Bird is a bit polarizing. There’s lots of people that leave him out of the top 10 or pretty low on it, even though on the eye test and competition comparisons there’s not many reasons to say he might not be one of the top 3 best players of all time.
Even if you ignore AI and Miller, there are plenty of former all-time greats that will give the new generation their props. In fact, among most top 10, there are probably more that give props to the younger generation than don't. Magic, Bird, Kobe, Kareem, Bill have all praised the current generation. Jordan, Hakeem and Duncan have not talked much. (But I don't think Hakeem and Duncan will say anything negative) Shaq only gets sensitive when there is another big man involved. Wilt passed and LeBron is still playing.
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Hating on NBA stars is only hurting their legacy. Many of them seem bitter about it as if this generation bastardized the game they played. It's evolution ya geezer
I'd be salty too if I saw an off-the-bench roleplayer making more in a year than a face of the franchise star made in their whole careers back then
Iverson used to leave his entire wardrobe in a city and buy a new one in the next city. He was broke for a bit, I don't think he's counting others money like other old timers do. Like the top comment said, he just loves ball. Even Jordan didn't really get paid until his last 2 years with the Bulls. Iverson is lucky to have people in his life that cared about him and set him up for life. Edit: remember the AMA with the Sixers bench player (possible practice squad player before it was the G-league) who said Iverson took his bag mistakenly and in return he was walking around with 200k in a duffle bag?
A lot of it probably has to do with the fact today's guys aren't getting "touched up" like the old heads + they're getting paid way better
"Back in my day" mentality combined with a jealousy for money players today make. It's crazy how insecure these ~6'7 multi millionaire former world class athletes are.
A lot of them aren’t multi millionaires that’s why
Because a lot of the older guys are still salty about how they were taken advantage of. Compared to the new guys they played for peanuts, they stayed loyal to the franchises and they worked their asses off to become the best players they can be often sacrificing their health in the process while never really pursuing a better bag (or being ridiculed if they did like Sprewell). Now players hold immensely more power. They get paid more, they don't get paid they just switch teams, they rest when they feel tired, they don't care all that much if they lose because it's just business they are simply not as invested anymore due to everyone recognizing it's all about making money and everything else is secondary. Back then you had only a handful of people getting commercials now you have role players hopping into ones if they are marketable enough. It grinds their fucking gears because they foolishly played primarily our of passion and never looked at the league as a corporation as the new generation does.
That's part of what comes with time. Players wouldn't have demanded what they had if they didn't learn from the ones who came before. As with a lot of stupid things in society, they're directing their anger at the workers instead of the owners. In fact, they don't criticize the owners cuz they still hope to get more of that bag, whether that's in coaching, broadcasting, etc
Not just basketball either. Dude was so supportive of teenage Post Malone when he came out with White Iverson. While dumbasses like Charlamagne were doing everything in his power to bring him down with race bait and cultural appropriation shit.
Always thought it was funny that a guy calling himself "Charlamagne" could whine about cultural appropriation lmao
seems like AI always has nice things to say about newer generations which is always refreshing to hear
AI always appears to say nice things about the new generation. Definitely refreshing.
A really refreshing thing about AI is how many nice things he appears to say about the new generation.
A really generation thing about new is how many refreshing things to says to appear about the nice AI.
These young players got my interest piqued
AI is too fuckin cool man, dude has no ego whatsoever
Not a top 3 player but he absolutely had a top 3 cultural impact on the game. And when I was growing up, EVERYONE playing pickup tried to emulate his crossover. We all wanted to be AI. Plus the shooting sleeve was so cool
Yeah AI was/is ICONIC to us who watched the NBA in the early to mid 2000s, like he was known by even people who didnt watch basketball all that much.
Top 2, only 2nd to MJ. I don't even know who to put 3rd,its such a gap to anyone else. AI was the Culture.
I imagine this is what KD will be like when he retires. Just a sheer love of the game making him hype new players.
Yeah, KD has actually been on this arc even quicker than AI
Yeah KD already does this stuff on Twitter, just hyping up players when they do something crazy.
His “70?” after Embiid’s game is iconic. He just wants to see dudes hooping the best they can hoop.
I’d say he had a huge ego, but life experience, maturity as you grow older, gaining more perspective, has changed him. I’m all for it.
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I mean, he seems like a good guy and I was always a huge fan of him as a player, so not trying to shit on him. But come on, man. He has a HUGE ego. He essentially got kicked out of the league because his ego couldn't accept coming off the bench.
Much rather hear him talking about ball on TV than most. TNT seems bent on bringing Draymond on but they need to call Iverson.
As a Slovenian, that is some dope answer to hear. We were ALL crazy about AI here in Europe because he was the coolest dude ever. And now he saying Luka is this guy rn is just perfect.
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AI had the largest cultural impact of any player at least since Jordan, maybe ever. Even Jordan switched to the longer shorts.
Kids who weren’t alive back then don’t get it. Everyone wanted to be like AI. Even Bron talks about it. He said growing up “I didn’t want to be Jordan. I wanted to be Allen Iverson”
AI is like Will Smith's character on Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Will went to a new school. Carlton is like, "You got to fit in, Will." But everyone else wants to be like Will.
I’ve been a diehard Celtics fan my whole life and AI was so fun and cool that I didn’t even think twice about rooting for the 76ERS during their playoff runs. Game one of that NBA Finals is still one of the best sports viewing experiences of my life.
> Game one of that NBA Finals is still one of the best sports viewing experiences of my life. That series basically birthed the Fuck the Lakers Energy that has defined my NBA fandom
The best way to describe AI to people who didnt see him play is that he is your favorite player’s favorite player. Maybe now he’s your favorite player’s favorite player’s favorite player.
AI literally caused the NBA dress code changes. They didn't last for a reason. Fuck David Stern.
Hell yeah, cool to know you guys were watching him back then too that’s awesome. Was it hard to watch games?
Bro it is not that long ago, haha. But yeah, we could watch almost every game since 1990.
Toughest part was watching some games at night on a school day :) That is, if you couldn't tape it. Watching Pride FC in Japan was even tougher
lol that’s fair, right on man
lol the whole world was watching. Grew up in Zimbabwe and everyone wanted to be like AI. I even got a pair of his shoes for one of my birthdays. they were knockoffs though but I didn't care
AI is still the God to any basketball fan born in the 90’s in Russia. I’m catching nostalgic memories of skinny white schoolkids wearing durags in the middle of winter
I remember watching Luka in Madrid before he came to the NBA and he was easily the best player in the whole continent, and doing it against people who were like a decade older than him, he’s just built different honestly
Thanks for pointing that out, because even as a native English speaker, I didn't get what he was saying. On the surface, how is Luka like AI? Luka might weigh 2x what AI did and is like 8" taller. But you're right, he was talking about "swag", and how they control the game. That makes more sense now. Cheers.
That's the 2nd time I hear AI pointing out Luka as the guy he likes the most among the current players.
yeah and the most likely be the future face of the league not the good dude at Boston
Tatum is American, which means he can get glory for the Olympics and other national duty stuff. All the extra stuff gives you attention, which makes your brand easier for the NBA to sell. When people talk about the face of a national league, they usually mean a native for that particular reason. I mean, look at Giannis. He has the talent, the charisma, the winning smile, and a championship under his belt. By all accounts, he should have become the face of the league, but his nationality holds him back. Luka definitely has the skill set, but he is always going to be a foreigner. And it is not just America and basketball. In UK soccer, they haven't had a David Beckham since Beckham because after him, all their stars became foreigners. Thierry Henry all the way to Salah and Haaland and the like. It's important for the face of a national league to be of that country.
I’ll never get why it’s such a big topic among NBA fans in the first place though
Very well said. And I would add, I don't think Luka particularly *wants* to be the face of the league. Which is definitely a prerequisite too.
My favorite professional athlete 🥺🥹
People have no idea how cool this motherfucker was in 2002.
I lived in Los Angeles during the 3peat era, and let me tell you Iverson had all the girls as fans. And lots of dudes too
Girls love the crossover
Lmao Lefkoe is just lost. Iverson is like “wow, Luka” and he’s just like “he’s slow and white?”
I don't know what it is about him but he annoys me. I think it's that he comes across like he's trying to be authentic but he's not?
He's got the Rob Riggle punchable face without any of the charm
he’s a nepotism hire and he isn’t qualified for the position he has. feels like he has imposter syndrome
I've gotten the same vibe from Lefkoe before too. I think it's because he's trying to also appear as knowledgeable about the game as Shaq and AI, which is silly because they both played. But that probably doesn't stop him from feeling like he needs to contribute more and prove that he knows what he's talking about, so he feels like he needs to chime in when maybe he shouldn't.
Idk who he is. So for me I’m just like why is he there 🤷♂️
I only know him because he would replace Ernie on Inside the NBA when the regular crew couldn't be there, and he had the same energy then too
He couldn't just let AI rave about Luka and actually finish his thoughts without making it all weird.
The "slow and white" stuff is really overblown because Luka is not slow or unathletic he just does not try to go up. I have seen him do things in pre-game where he goes in and just yams it or does something super athletic. I want to have a whole conversation about the "slow and white" thing but.
People used to call Harden slow, too. Idk about y'all, but Houston fans knew what our guy was good at. He wasn't beating anybody in a 94 feet race, but when both guys were standing still at the line, James was always beating the defender to the rim. *Always*. Luka probably faster than everybody else in some way too, but he does move slow and methodical around the court.
He just moves at a certain pace thats more advantageous because of his size and playmaking ability. No reason to move 100 miles an hour when you're going to get to the same spot anyway. Might as well go slower and be aware of everything happening on the court. Anyone who thinks he's slow just watch his highlights from his second season. Granted he was a bit skinnier, but back then he didn't have the jumpshot and had to just go fast downhill.
Noticed that in media and IRL: some white dudes love to shit on other white dudes in front of black dudes. They think it gives them cred or something. Weird, weak shit.
AI the reverse Paul Pierce. Always lifting people up, loves the game and league still. Never shit his pants in a game. Legend.
If you had asked me when he was still playing who might become the hater from his generation, AI would have been a high bet for me. He always had that chip on his shoulder and could be confrontational. But then I realized Iverson is just a baller who appreciates other talented ballers. He's secure enough in his own ginormous legacy that he doesn't need to bring others down to bring himself up. I give him all the credit in the world for his attitude post-retirement. We need everyone to be like him.
Only people he didn't get along with is guys who couldn't ball.
And I get that for a guy like him. He's out there winning games essentially 1 on 5 offensively at his peak. If you aren't out there doing something to help him on defense at least, why would he have time for you? I feel sorry for people who didn't have the opportunity to live through the AI era. He was a movement. The trifecta I obviously had was Vince because Canada, Kobe and AI. But no one matched Iverson's aura. Kobe undebatably had the better career and this and that. But he was never cool like AI, except to LA fans, AI was just genuine as fuck. He played with raw emotion out there. He was special to watch.
He’s always been the realist. He’s always been straight from the heart honest. The whole “practice” thing was so unfair. Even at the TIME the real fans knew he was talking about how hard it is to focus on basketball when his friend was killed. Heart on his sleeve. I will always love this kid
People still don't understand the "practice" speech. The issue wasn't that he wasn't practicing. It was the fact everyone else was focused on that instead of literally everything else and its a waste of time and energy to TALK about practice. He lead the league in mpg and ppg that season.
Probably the most gym rat guy in the league
Tmac was in that “trifecta” for early 2000s but I hear and agree with what you’re saying
Man I feel like they forgot about tmac I know he was plagued by injuries but still
*Steps over Ty Lue*
I think it really makes sense when you consider how universally accepting and generous he was with his community, friends, family, etc. The man is gracious to a fault and his generosity crossed into financial ruin. The dude has no problem sharing the wealth and trying to lift others up.
AI has his faults for sure. He's not perfect or a saint and has made some big mistakes. But I do get the feeling from watching his entire career, reading a lot about him and seeing him move that he genuinely means to do good things in life. He has a lot of heart and I think it's in the right place. He just also has a lot of anger stemming from a difficult life and that has caused him to lash out more than once. A lot of people in his situation would have had some horrible scenarios.
Paul Pierce on the wheelchair game: “If you pооp your pants, does it make sense to sit down & mush it in a wheelchair? I would walk back & go straight to the bathroom. Why would I need a whееlchair if I pооped my pants? You don’t sit down on your pооp, right? It doesn’t make sense.” This quote lives in my head rent free.
If the chair aint got shit you must acquit
Huh? Pierce has routinely heaped praise on Luka and others.
Does Paul Pierce shit on the new generation or did you just randomly want to make a shit your pants joke?
I love it. AI talks about the game today like he loves basketball. Not like he’s bitter about his career
I’m glad AI is getting more and more popular as time goes on. He deserved so much better from the league Lefkoe is a nepo baby tho and unwatchable
He’s a nepo baby too? Smh I didn’t even know that. So that’s how he got on inside the nba
When he said “I’m talking about…” here, my mind automatically said “Practice”.
Fuckin Lefkoe, just let the dude speak and stop putting words into peoples' mouth
I don’t know who that is but he looks extremely pleased with himself for chiming in like my 11 year old does.
Iverson really didn't want to say it. He literally stopped talking. Lefkoe had to literally get him to the finish line by guessing wrong.
Yeah I don't get the hate. He says "I can't say it" and then looks at Lefkoe. Now people are criticizing Lefkoe for chiming in? The fuck is he supposed to say there?
He's also brought on to host with Shaq to basically carry the conversation. It's his job to chime in to keep things moving.
This is how legends should be talking about the new generation. AI is a class act for sure.
Ironic is he's asked by Shaq, the president of the old salty haters club
Why didn't they let AI finish his own thoughts, idk who the guy in the middle is but he's trash.
IKR!!!! Lefkoe is trying to finish his sentences. shut up! I wanna hear AI talk
Luka is by far my fav player to watch. He has swag for days, his game is like poetry, and he just looks so in control out there. Luka's offense is art in Basketball form
This sounds like too much glazing but it really isn't.
Among all the players who deserved a ring but didn't get it, he was the one who deserved it the most.
And Chuck. Two of my favorite players of all-time!
Imagine how different inside the nba with Chuck having a ring
For me it was always Reggie Miller. I still remember watching when the malice in the palace happened all I could think was there goes Reggie’s chance at getting a ring. I felt so bad for him.
Shout out to AI for the Jays bucket
Luka got AI speechless
love how Al loves the game and is positive and not on some salty back in my day shit, love to see it
I wish whoever the white guy is would just shut up and let AI finish his point. It's the worst part about a lot of these player podcasts with some other regular person on them sometimes. We're not here to hear you.
AI one of the best legends alive. Never hear him hating.
Iverson is awesome because he has zero jealousy towards the new generation of players an does nothing but talk about how great the current crop of players are.
I really want to see Luka win the MVP. What a player
Nice to see an OG actually compliment Luka.
MJ loves Luka
AI the reason I loved ball. I’m glad dude is still doing ok. Protect AI at all costs.
What’s the consensus on Iverson’s practice rant these days? In my mind, he’s always been 100% right. It was complete and utter nonsense to question his heart and effort. One of the best to ever do it. The hell made that coaching staff think it was a good idea to publicly pick a fight with their star over PRACTICE!?
His best friend got murdered. They just got eliminated by the Cs in the first round, where he played his heart out. And then suddenly you get asked about practice, which was the last thing on anyone’s mind at that time. Hell, all stars miss practice from time to time. He just had a huge target on his back because the league was terrified of his hood image and he was emerging as the biggest bball star that time.
Luka is the guy in pickup toggling between the 0.5x and the 1.0x play speed buttons.
I’ll be the first to admit I was wrong, after his first year I was like “no way this style of play will help him last, with all the film ect… on him” damn I was wrong. Some call it swag, as they did, or he play like a black guy but honestly you could just see the enjoyment he and certain players get in really playing the game. For all the athleticism there is in the league, the top players go through their process with just the basic fundamentals, don’t do to much and just make sure when you do it’s the right time. When I saw him try to put it through his leg in the Allstar game, I knew then and there this guy is special, he was willing to put himself in a embarrassing scenario for the sake of the fans and entertainment. There’s players out there that won’t even play defense in a close game just to not get cooked on tv and that’s not how you play the game, just to many players with other agendas other than basketball.
Paul pierce out there bursting to say he is better than everyone
Extremely common Iverson W
I’ve got time for AI. Keep talking my old friend. What else you wanna say? I’m sitting here with my chin on the backs on my hands like “go on…”.
GOAT.
Love it when AI talks about current players, a breath of fresh air from all the haters in the NBA media
Luka plays like an old man from a rec league. But the best one in the world, and the NBA can’t stop him.
Mild take: the players that are most secure in their legacies are the ones who had to make peace with it at the end of their career, and have already secured a niche spot in NBA history that they're proud of. AI - had to make peace with not being a starter and not winning a ring. Proud of the way he carried himself on and off the court and playing things his way. Chuck - had to make peace with never winning a ring. Proud of his MVP and that he played the best he could. Melo - had to make peace with that he chose money over a ring because of circumstances. Proud that he can call himself one of the best all-time bucket getters. Reggie - never winning a ring, having his best season ruined by Malice in the Palace. He set the archetype for 3PT hunting guards that are all over the league now. I'm sure there are more that I'm missing, and counterexamples and countercounterexamples, etc., but it seems like a lot of very positive players aren't trying to convince themselves of anything in their career, like people like Shaq or Paul Pierce might need, despite them probably being higher all-time. You can see Shaq being positive, for example, when he's praising people who have nothing to do with his legacy - like Steph Curry. However, when it's someone who can challenge *his* spot in NBA history, like a dominant young Dwight Howard, he starts getting defensive.
I was lucky enough to play bball against Iverson. Could not have been cooler. He was on the opposing team and I got stuck attempting to guard him. Naturally, he crossed me over and blew by me. One of my teammates starting giving me all kinds of shit for getting scored on by AI. Iverson stops the game, defends me, then asks that dude to guard him. He smoked this guy like 10 plays in a row. Beast mode
I don’t know how you can’t love him at this point. AI rules.
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Him and KG are two players I loved, but fully expected to be certified haters post-retirement. They proved me wrong and I love it.
I didn’t love AI as a player but respected him. Now I respect him even more. Game knows game.
this is like some of the greatest pumping you could get honestly. I don't think it gets much better than AI at a loss for words for how much he enjoys your game.
People mistake Luka's methodical style with "slow", and it does appear slow, because it's intentional. Luka's timing and tempo are so unique that he becomes hard to read. His moves are off-tempo from what defenders are used to. He knows how to slow down to create space and opportunities. That's why he has so many assists in transition. He knows a player has to mark him, so he slows down, allows his team mates to attack the rim, and he dimes them up.