Embrace being a sixth man and coming of the b…b.b.b.bench! I know, AI thinks this is the worst five letter b word applicable to mankind. I just wish that AI could embrace a role that would be new but not all that different. Ultimately I don’t believe AI should play 15-20 minutes a game, but just the same I’m not sure if NBA franchises are willing to take a gamble and let him start knowing his unique style of play. The Heat and Grizzles seem to interested interested in giving ultimatums to a player who has done so much for the league.
And now in day 10 of free agency, the bad times continue to poor down on Iverson. But the dust ups that have casted a dark cloud over his career were destined to catch up to him. I think Iverson wants to retract his statement in youth, and be granted the opportunity to be like Mike. When he was 34 years old, he was still the lead dog on his team and winning championships. His image, his game was something everyone appreciated and respected. The generation that preceded him was undoubtedly dominated by Michael Jordan. Iverson, after 13 seasons still doesn’t grasps the details and intricacies of the game that allow his antithesis to dominate.
Perceived as bad teammates at one point of the career, they were able to better understand the game and exactly how to win. He wouldn’t be the only player ever who inhabited this flaw, MJ and Kobe Bryant were the same.
But if he was in a Shakespeare play, his tragic flaw wouldn’t necessarily be his ego, but instead his will to win. They are pulling for David to lose to Goliath. People that want the huge chip on his shoulder to bury him and his chances of putting on another NBA uniform. His playing style matched his personality, courageous almost to his own detriment Truth be told if Spike Lee really wanted to create a eye opening documentary on an NBA star, he should have done a documentary on Iverson’s career naming it “When Keeping it Real Goes Wong.” Balancing out the unprecedented support are not simply critics of Iverson but enemies. A little too young to remember the days of Charles Barkley, I’d never seen someone who was unrepentantly himself in front of cameras.
The reason is that even before the whole reality TV trend, Iverson was just so candid and real in front of the cameras. Before Twitter, Iverson had passionate followers ready to defend him, ready to step up in his defense even after every misstep the star would make. The truth of the matter is Iverson doesn’t have fans, he practically has cult members. And that's what made him Jordan’s opposite, and more importantly Kobe Bryant’s antithesis. The statement was laudable, as he set out from the get go to be a trailblazer (not a jail blazer), approaching the game and everything that comes with it in his own unique way. They knew that his mercurial talents were At seasons end, the then 21 year old Iverson boldly stated that he did not want to be like Bird, Magic, or Mike. That one year served as a microcosm for his entire career.Įven when people wanted him to change his image, they could not ignore his game. The Jordan crossover, the 5 consecutive 40 point games and all the criticism that followed. I am dreading each day, hoping my eyes won't witness a bold headline on that reads ' Iverson has retired.' Even after 13 years of ups and downs, his rookie seasons still seems like it happened yesterday. I hate thinking about the uncertainty that surrounds the future of this generation’s most influential player. Trust me Iverson fans, it hurts to write this article. But rapping and hooping, which is tragicly seen as interchangeable by some NBA superstars, are two entirely different animals. The fact that Jay Z can be one the best in the rap game even when he’s an octogenarian is remarkable. Unfortunately for him basketball is not rap.