Joined: Nov 26, 2003 Posts: 294 Location: Somewhere over the Rainbow
Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2004 7:41 am Post subject: Allen is mad forreal
February 17, 2004 | BOX SCORE
Iverson Erupts as Sixers Fall to Nuggets
Allen Iverson sits on the floor next to the Sixers' bench in the first quarter. Iverson did not start as a punishment for missing practice on Monday. (AP)
The relationship between new Sixers head coach Chris Ford and Allen Iverson has not started off well.
Iverson wasn't happy before Tuesday's 106-85 loss to the Nuggets, and he let everyone know of his displeasure afterwards.
Iverson played 36 minutes, scoring 27 points and dishing out 14 assists, but was held out of the starting lineup because he missed practice on Monday. He was also fined.
"I was angry all day from the shootaround on," Iverson said. "Going in there and having a meeting and being with some guy that I don't really know, telling me that I wasn't going to start and what I have to do for us to be successful ...
"I was just upset about being here eight years and somebody being here for one game and benching me."
Iverson said he missed practice because his plane from Los Angeles where he played in the All-Star game a night earlier was delayed. But Ford didn't accept the excuse.
"Obviously, I was thought of as a liar," Iverson said.
"The most frustrating thing was hearing him say he feel like I didn't have respect for my teammates and that they don't have respect for me, and that they feel like I don't bring it every day," he said. "A coach has never, ever questioned whether I [brought] it every day."
Ford replaced Randy Ayers as head coach last Tuesday. While the team struggled, Iverson backed Ayers and openly questioned his teammates' desire. Right now, it's obvious that Iverson wouldn't do the same for his new coach.
"I don't have to be his friend, I don't have to speak to him," Iverson said. "I can play for him, though. I can play hard for him and I can do exactly what he wants me to do, night in and night out. I definitely will do that. But as far as having a relationship with him outside of basketball, that's done from Day 1.
"The relationship between us goes out the window," he said. "I told him why I couldn't make it, and it wasn't enough."
Iverson entered the game with 4:39 left in the first quarter.
"I sat there and cheered the guys on," he said, "and when I got my opportunity, I came in and played the way I always play, and that is hard."
Despite his anger, Iverson wanted the issue to be put to rest.
"I guess this is supposed to be the beginning of Allen Iverson's and Chris Ford's fued, and it's not going to be like that," Iverson said. "It happened, and it's done."
As for the game itself, Iverson's effort was far from enough to overcome the upstart Nuggets, who improved to 32-23 while dropping the Sixers to 22-32.
Joined: Dec 27, 2003 Posts: 289 Location: Somewhere in SC. The most boring state on Earth.
Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2004 7:50 am Post subject: Allen is mad forreal
O BOY. PLEASE NOT LARRY VS ALLEN PT2. DAMN ALLEN HAS A BIG AZZ EGO. I WISH HE WOULD BE MORE MATURE ABOUT THINGS. DAMN, HE STILL MY MAN THOUGH. HE JUST PISSES ME OFF SOMETIME. ALLEN IS MESSED UP FO REAL. HE NEEDS HELP.
Joined: Nov 20, 2003 Posts: 213 Location: makati philippines
Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2004 9:13 am Post subject: Allen is mad forreal
he may have a reason to be mad, but ford is still his coach.
a good leader is a good follower, if ai can't follow simple instruction from his coach, how can he be a good leader to his team?
all i'm saying is, may be ford had been too much benching him for like 7mins of the first quarter, but it's one way of giving your players some discipline. i just hope after this, ford and ai can try to patch things up, for their team's sake.
since ai was reported to be really disappointed by the dismissal of ayers, i'm guessing (and i mean guessing...) he's putting it all out on ford, and it so happen that (may be not intentionally) he missed practice before the denver's game.
from what i've read, ford's instruction to his team was to call him (no one else) if there's anything come out, which ai failed to do so, instead he informed someone else, and unfortunately that someone wasn't coach ford.
but nevertheless, they really need to work as a team otherwise the whole franchise will suffer, it's not a good beginning for the sixers after the all star break, but there's still time to get back on track...
Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2004 5:53 pm Post subject: Allen is mad forreal
Hey, I'm new but have been visiting for a little bit but when I saw these post I had to respond. Now, I agree with you guys AI needs to try hang in there BUT he is. AI IS THE BEST player on that team, he shows up every night and gives 110% and what does his teammates give? Nothing. AI wants to win, plain and simple and this INTERIM coach may not even be coach next year, which I doubt he will if they have a losing season (that's usually how that works).
He benched AI and they lost. AI had a good excuse to miss practice. I'm not buying this lack of leadership crap because he leads by his game on the court when it matters. Philly needs to surround him with better players, those teammates are NO good! and he can't win it all or take them to a championship all by himself, MJ couldn't even do that.
I wish AI would be traded because he deserves to win a championship OR philly needs to lose those old players they paying high salaries to and get some help for Iverson and that's the main problem not AI missing practice.
Joined: Feb 19, 2004 Posts: 11 Location: Mt.Pleasnat,MI
Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2004 9:55 pm Post subject: Allen is mad forreal
I'm just now reading this and I'm a new member.I don't want to judge AI for anything because he is the realest b-ball player I know.I love the fact that he hasn't let money change him.However, he can't win a ring by himself.Philly is falling apart at the seams and I'm tired of everyone using him as the scapegoat when the game is lost.People need to stop pointing the finger.No one man can win a ring.If that was the case then there would be no such thing as the word "team".There is no doubt that AI is talented but he has downfalls like all of us.I somehow feel that Ford was a little over the top by benching him.I'd rather him get in touch with someone he knows will inform the coach and say he will be late to practice than be egotistical and just be like "f*** it".There are too many people who feel that having alot of money allows them to do what the h*** want to do.That applies to the world in general not just athletes.But AI missing practice completely is another story.
Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2004 10:00 pm Post subject: Allen is mad forreal
quote:Originally posted by Tooty04:
I'm just now reading this and I'm a new member.I don't want to judge AI for anything because he is the realest b-ball player I know.I love the fact that he hasn't let money change him.However, he can't win a ring by himself.Philly is falling apart at the seams and I'm tired of everyone using him as the scapegoat when the game is lost.People need to stop pointing the finger.No one man can win a ring.If that was the case then there would be no such thing as the word "team".There is no doubt that AI is talented but he has downfalls like all of us.I somehow feel that Ford was a little over the top by benching him.I'd rather him get in touch with someone he knows will inform the coach and say he will be late to practice than be egotistical and just be like "f*** it".There are too many people who feel that having alot of money allows them to do what the h*** want to do..
Joined: Nov 23, 2003 Posts: 312 Location: mother's belly
Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2004 4:18 am Post subject: Allen is mad forreal
quote:Originally posted by Tooty04:
I'm just now reading this and I'm a new member.I don't want to judge AI for anything because he is the realest b-ball player I know.I love the fact that he hasn't let money change him.However, he can't win a ring by himself.Philly is falling apart at the seams and I'm tired of everyone using him as the scapegoat when the game is lost.People need to stop pointing the finger.No one man can win a ring.If that was the case then there would be no such thing as the word "team".There is no doubt that AI is talented but he has downfalls like all of us.I somehow feel that Ford was a little over the top by benching him.I'd rather him get in touch with someone he knows will inform the coach and say he will be late to practice than be egotistical and just be like "f*** it".There are too many people who feel that having alot of money allows them to do what the h*** want to do.That applies to the world in general not just athletes.But AI missing practice completely is another story.
Damn I just said all that s*** in another topic. So the sayin is tru...great minds think alike
So the sayin is tru...great minds think alike 
