With Allen Iverson’s official retirement announcement around the corner, a lot of AI memories have been brought up. How can you think of AI and not think of his infamous “practice rant?!” It just goes together like peanut butter and jelly. So apparently this rant came from the inspiration of a drunken conversation with Gary Payton.
Check out his story after the jump & let us know what you think…
Via BI:
According to Payton, the rant, in which Iverson defends his woeful attendance record at practice and uses the word “practice” 16 times in 90 seconds, actually started as a drunken conversation between the two over how to stay in shape:
“We were out [during the summer], and we were all out having a good time. And we had a little bit too many. You know, we had a little bit too many. And he asked me, ‘how do you keep your body in so good of a shape, and don’t get hurt, and always stay on the court?’ And I just told him for real, my coach, George Karl, didn’t let me practice. So that was it. I said, ‘You have to stop practicing.’ ”
Payton does go on to explain that Iverson’s rant was not exactly what he had in mind.
VIDEO (starts about 2:26 mark):
The “Practice” Rant:
