July 18, 2015
Years after his NBA playing career, Allen Iverson still never fails to entertain. The former Sixers great, a superstar on the court and a magnet of controversy off of it, is now the subject of another remix dedicated to his infamous "practice rant" at a press conference on May 7, 2012.
As part of Carpark Records' Sweet Sixteen picture disc, an album full of basketball-themed tracks, Skylar Spence (aka Ryan DeRobertis) pays tribute to A.I.'s bristly response to media questioning days after the Sixers got bounced from the playoffs from the Boston Celtics, CSN Philly reports.
Somehow, masterfully, this song manages to make Iverson sound both contrite and wholly righteous. It's the "practice rant" made perfect.
Recent revelations suggest the circumstances surrounding the famous tirade may have been less innocent than a case of frustration over a season cut short. Ken Babb's recently published book on Iverson, "Not a Game: The Incredible Rise and Unthinkable Fall of Allen Iverson," alleges that Iverson was drunk at the press conference. His emotions may also have boiled over as a response to rumors he was on the trade block and his own admission that he was dealing with the loss of a close friend.
We know A.I. has seen better days, and it's always special when he visits the arena as he recently did for the unveiling of the Sixers new uniforms, joined by other heroes of the franchise. Former Sixers coach Larry Brown said last month that he wishes there could be a role for Iverson in Sixers management, and while it's easy to turn a blind eye to the shortcomings of local sports phenoms, Iverson's complicated legacy still inspires enough awe and admiration to hope the news we hear from him is positive.
