Photo: Jim Rogash
Hall of Famer, college and NBA legend, Allen Iverson joins Dan Patrick on the Dan Patrick Show. He talks about his early days and his love for football, believing he might have tried to play both if he had come up in a different era. He shares why he stuck with the hardcourt, how he was inspired by and developed the ultimate respect for Michael Jordan, and what it felt like to drop his patented crossover on “Black Jesus.” He says it was tough dealing with the stigma that came with his tattoos and cornrows in his early years, and he is proud to have been instrumental in changing perceptions throughout the league. He weighs in on Ja Morant and what it takes to play with that attacking style. And he talks about practice.
Dan Patrick: “You didn’t like to practice either though, Allen...”
Allen Iverson: “Man that was so off. And that was something that bothered me a lot because I think the way kids looked up to me, and the way even guys in the league looked up to me, I didn’t ever want them to think that that wasn’t important. That wasn’t the message that I was sending. Just that press conference, and they just kept asking me about the same thing and I got fed up...”
Dan: “It’s still a great line by you though.”
Allen: “Yeah, but it was just interpreted the wrong way. There’s no way now, if people do think that I didn’t like to practice, and I didn’t practice, then damn, how good was I then if I didn’t practice?”
Dan: [LAUGHTER]
Allen: “I couldn’t accomplish the things I’ve done without practicing. No way, couldn’t happen.”