Friday is the 19-year anniversary of Allen Iverson’s iconic rant about practice.
On May 7, 2002, the legendary NBA player launched into an epic rant about practice and the fact people were talking about whether or not he cared enough while with the 76ers. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
“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,” Iverson ranted passionately.
19 years ago pic.twitter.com/rkLJela1vV
— Old Row (@OldRowOfficial) May 7, 2021
What a lot of people don’t know because they don’t want more of the video outside of the part about practice, Iverson had a friend die a few months prior to the rant, and the pain of that death stayed with him for a long time.
So, Iverson was dealing with a lot of things, and the press conference went off the rails because of practice. In reality, the practice situation was just a very small part of the big picture.
Having said all of that, it’s still one of the most legendary rants in the history of sports. The dude didn’t hold back at all.
It was nothing other than raw honesty, and I love the fact he kept it real.
19 YEARS AGO TODAY
Here’s what you never see from Allen Iverson’s infamous “practice” rant.“My best friend is dead & we lost. And this is what I have to go through for the rest of the summer until the season is all over again. This is what I got to go through.” pic.twitter.com/AT9cqcl8tC
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) May 7, 2021
It’s hard to believe it was already 19 years ago, but damn, it still hits hard.