Goodbye Allen
stevek
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in Sports Talk
I've never been a huge basketball fan but the year the Sixers played the dominant Lakers for the championship was a lot of fun. The Sixers caught the Lakers napping in the first game and beat them, but the Sixers had no chance, none, of winning that series and the Lakers swept the other four games.
Was Allen a bit of a punk? Of course he was, but he played his heart out every minute on the court and to a fan who wants a championship, we can't ask for more than that. I don't remember him ever taking a play off, and I see a number of NBA players taking quarters off and sometimes more than that during some games.
That BS about the practice in my opinion was BS on Larry Brown's part, and I like Larry Brown. But the 82 game schedule, and then playoff games, of the NBA is absolutely grueling and for a guy like Iverson who gives his all in the games, I think Brown could have handled that situation better. I mean it's basketball, it isn't brain surgery...if I was a basketball coach in that situation with a superstar, I would let him skip practice on a "regular" basis. Who cares? The other players? I would say to the other players if you bust your buns like Iverson on the court then you can skip some practices as well.
Allen will be missed.
Was Allen a bit of a punk? Of course he was, but he played his heart out every minute on the court and to a fan who wants a championship, we can't ask for more than that. I don't remember him ever taking a play off, and I see a number of NBA players taking quarters off and sometimes more than that during some games.
That BS about the practice in my opinion was BS on Larry Brown's part, and I like Larry Brown. But the 82 game schedule, and then playoff games, of the NBA is absolutely grueling and for a guy like Iverson who gives his all in the games, I think Brown could have handled that situation better. I mean it's basketball, it isn't brain surgery...if I was a basketball coach in that situation with a superstar, I would let him skip practice on a "regular" basis. Who cares? The other players? I would say to the other players if you bust your buns like Iverson on the court then you can skip some practices as well.
Allen will be missed.
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Comments
<< <i>Allen isn't going to win anyone any championships. Always took way too many shots for my liking. >>
Never say never. He single-handedly got a team to the championship in 2001. He plays his heart out on the court...That says a lot in today's game...
Bosox1976
<< <i>That BS about the practice in my opinion was BS on Larry Brown's part, and I like Larry Brown. But the 82 game schedule, and then playoff games, of the NBA is absolutely grueling and for a guy like Iverson who gives his all in the games, I think Brown could have handled that situation better. I mean it's basketball, it isn't brain surgery...if I was a basketball coach in that situation with a superstar, I would let him skip practice on a "regular" basis. Who cares? The other players? I would say to the other players if you bust your buns like Iverson on the court then you can skip some practices as well. >>
I have always truly disagreed with that thought process. Players practice to become better players. They practice with their team to become a better team. Many players have said that they have become star players by practicing frequently with other star players. If Iverson would have taken practice seriously enough every day, he would have possibly made the other players around him better and maybe he could have won a championship in Philly. He's better than other and gets paid accordingly, but the coach should have the final say on how the team is run. That's his job and that's what he gets paid for. If he thinks the players and the team needs practice, he should know better than the player.
Further, maybe he "busts his buns" on a regular basis because he's got more energy from not practicing - lol. Other players may not want to try as hard when a guy like this gets away with murder. It's bad for a teams morale IMO. Maybe he gets injured all of the time because he doesn't practice enough.
Anywho, I cannot stand the guy because he thinks the league and his team revolves around him. His wannabe thug mentality will fit in great with the hit-and-run Carmelo. And the Answer is = 0 championships for the Nuggets
<< <i>
<< <i>That BS about the practice in my opinion was BS on Larry Brown's part, and I like Larry Brown. But the 82 game schedule, and then playoff games, of the NBA is absolutely grueling and for a guy like Iverson who gives his all in the games, I think Brown could have handled that situation better. I mean it's basketball, it isn't brain surgery...if I was a basketball coach in that situation with a superstar, I would let him skip practice on a "regular" basis. Who cares? The other players? I would say to the other players if you bust your buns like Iverson on the court then you can skip some practices as well. >>
I have always truly disagreed with that thought process. Players practice to become better players. They practice with their team to become a better team. Many players have said that they have become star players by practicing frequently with other star players. If Iverson would have taken practice seriously enough every day, he would have possibly made the other players around him better and maybe he could have won a championship in Philly. He's better than other and gets paid accordingly, but the coach should have the final say on how the team is run. That's his job and that's what he gets paid for. If he thinks the players and the team needs practice, he should know better than the player.
Further, maybe he "busts his buns" on a regular basis because he's got more energy from not practicing - lol. Other players may not want to try as hard when a guy like this gets away with murder. It's bad for a teams morale IMO. Maybe he gets injured all of the time because he doesn't practice enough.
Anywho, I cannot stand the guy because he thinks the league and his team revolves around him. His wannabe thug mentality will fit in great with the hit-and-run Carmelo. And the Answer is = 0 championships for the Nuggets >>
Your point is understood but even the great coaches in various sports often showed latitude and sometimes a lot of latitude towards their star players. Vince Lombardi, arguably the greatest football coach of all time, usually "looked the other way" when his star players broke some rules. Look at what TO gets away with in Dallas with a disciplinarian such as Bill Parcels - almost any other player on that team doing what TO has done would have been released in a second.
<< <i>Your point is understood but even the great coaches in various sports often showed latitude and sometimes a lot of latitude towards their star players. Vince Lombardi, arguably the greatest football coach of all time, usually "looked the other way" when his star players broke some rules. Look at what TO gets away with in Dallas with a disciplinarian such as Bill Parcels - almost any other player on that team doing what TO has done would have been released in a second. >>
I do understand that, but still feel it's wrong as it passes the wrong messages to the other players. In the end, it's the coaches decision. But the problem is when a player decides he's going to miss practices whether the coach allows it or not. When a player thinks he's above the coach and knows more about running the team, that kind of virus can kill success. He's been nothing but a coach killer. He had stated before that he didn't feel that Larry Brown knew what he was doing, but when he finally bought in to his coaching strategies, they made the Finals. Did that teach Iverson that maybe the coach knew more than him? Of course not.
BTW, I don't think Parcells has any control over what Owens gets away with. By his expression everytime he's asked about one of Owens antics, I suspect it's all Jerry...
— Allen Iverson at a press conference on May 8, 2002
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John
1993 Pro Set Power All-Power-Defense Gold #1