Posted on 08/28/2004 10:22:51 PM PDT by ClarenceThomasfan
Iverson rips Athens no-shows
Guard says NBA stars should consider chance to represent U.S. an honor
By Barry Svrluga
Updated: 3:43 p.m. ET Aug. 28, 2004
ATHENS - Guard Allen Iverson of the Philadelphia 76ers launched some not-so-subtle criticisms of other NBA players who chose not to compete in the Olympics.
Speaking after the U.S. men's basketball team's 89-81 semifinal loss to Argentina on Friday, Iverson said he felt honored to be chosen to participate and couldn't understand why others didn't feel the same way.
"Any person that's selected to a team like this, it shouldn't be a question in your mind," Iverson said. "It shouldn't even be something to think about. You're honored to get a chance to represent your country, and what's better than that?"
Iverson, who didn't name names, said NBA players should be more grateful to the game that makes nearly all of them millionaires.
"Anybody that grew up in the U.S. and is able to be a basketball player in the NBA, you understand what that country has done for you and your family," Iverson said. "It gave you an opportunity to support your family and be recognized as a household name. I mean, it's just an honor to be able to do something like that, and I would advise anybody that's selected to a team like this to take that honor and cherish it."
"You need to understand that first and foremost, it's an honor to be selected to this team," he said. "It's something you should cherish for the rest of your life. And honestly, it's something that I will cherish, even without winning the gold medal. I feel good about being part of something like this. I feel like a special basketball player to be selected to a team like this."
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
Bump!
I'm not gonna lie here...but Iverson was the only one who showed a boat load of effort on the squad in my book...he looked and played just like his words say here.
They're spoiled and can't be bothered.
That LeBron James kid looked to me like he was trying as well. I wouldn't give you a plug nickel for the rest of the "effort" I saw from them.
I agree... I think they redeemed themselves somewhat.
They got a medal. Let's lay off.
The vast majority of Olympic atheletes are professional in reality if not name. The Olympics should be a competition of the best atheletes in the world period.
The only US Olympian who hasn't acted in a very good manner was that fat idiot boxer...everyone else has made the US proud.
Iverson doesn't know any other way to play but 110%.
What he said about playing for America made me think even more of him as a man.
Tats and all.
Why don't they just send the NBA champions to the Olympics? Even the NCAA champions would be better than the current system.
"The only US Olympian who hasn't acted in a very good manner was that fat idiot boxer...everyone else has made the US proud."
I missed this. Got a link?
I never read a story about it, I just saw it in his post-fight interview, after he got his butt kicked by the Cuban.
He came in overweight, he said he didn't care about winning. It was pretty embarassing for himself and for the boxers.
The bottom line here is that the NBA has become a joke. Its loaded with a bunch of Jordan-wannabes, who don't measure up. The NBA teams of the 1970s and 1980s could cream almost every squad in the NBA today. They were capable of shooting outside and playing defense. They made gutsy plays and played as a team unit. You can't say that today, with the exception of last season's Pistons. The Lakers of 2004 would never have stood up to the Boston Celtics of the 1980s.
When we showed up at Athens...we brought a bunch of TV basketball artists along...thats all. I might be willing to give Iverson some credit and would hope that James might improve...but it wasn't a real team.
As for the future of the NBA...it needs major change. It needs to halt the arrival of high-school and immature players into the league. It needs to look at recreating the shooting game and bringing back defense. The punks and trash-talk...has to go. It needs to think of the future of the game...and our chances in 2008 with the next round of games.
Personally, I'd go into the next olympics, with a max limit of 2 professional players, and 10 college kids. I'd allow James to come back one more time. I'd get my team together as soon as the college season ends. I'd have these kids play a couple of games against NBA teams. I'd rather see a real shooting game, that could easily match up against the international players...and have a couple of top-defense guys whose job is to halt scoring. We can comeback...but only if things change. Otherwise, don't count on any medals for the next olympics.
Iverson has his share of eccentriticies and some bizarre personality quirks. But he's not stupid and is more often right than wrong. He's a man of many contradictions. He plays like a warrior and puts his body on the line. Yet he doesn't like to practice and doesn't condition himself properly. He desperately wants to win championships, yet he quit on the 76ers last year, turning the city truly against him for the first time. I really hope he can redeem himself this year and can help in turning the team around. As a 76er fan I'm pulling for him and want him to succeed. He's the most exciting player I've ever watched.
Iverson always looks like he's trying hard, because he never passes the ball. He tries to be a one man gang, which takes a lot of effort and is generally doomed to failure. Crocodile tears from AI, when they were winning he was whinning about not having any fun, now that they're going to leave Athens losers he wraps himself in the flag hoping for sympathy. Don't believe it.
Basketball is a great American gift to the world, and the world is catching up fast!
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