PHILADELPHIA — Allen Iverson’s practice rant is one of the most quotable moments in sports, especially in Philadelphia. But one important nugget from the speech doesn’t receive as much attention.
Thursday is the 18-year anniversary of Iverson’s famous rant. He went on to say the word “practice” 22 times and delivered quotes that are still mimicked today.
“We sitting in here, I’m supposed to be the franchise player, and we in here talking about practice,” Iverson said.
Most people remember that part. What’s often forgotten is what followed the practice rant.
Iverson was dealing with the loss of his best friend from Virginia. Rahsaan Langford was shot and killed seven months earlier. Langford’s death had a substantial impact on Iverson, and the murder trial for Langford’s accused killer was days before Iverson’s rant.
After talking about practice, Iverson closed his press conference by talking about dealing with the loss of his best friend.
“A lot of y’all can’t put your feet in my shoes because you can’t handle it,” Iverson said. “But just try to stick your feet in my shoes. It does not have to be a damn day, just try for a minute and try to deal with what I do in my life. My best friend is dead and we lost. And this is what I have to go through for the rest of the summer until the season is all over again. This is what I got to go through … this is my life in a nutshell.”
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