The Answer to hype

Man, we talkin' bout overrated. Not a good player, not a great player,.... we're talking about over hyped. Man, what we talkin' bout? over hyped? overrated?

Yes, we're talking about Allen Iverson. The highlight reel of garbage isolation basketball in the Post-Jordan era of the NBA with the perfect thug image of tattoos, braided hair, and "all me" image attitude that seems to be shaping a large majority of the country. Allen Iverson was a good player for a while, feasted on inflated statistics like it was a calorie count of a Big Mac cheese burger, but never a great player. That's right suburban white boy, take your Eminem mixed playlist driven iPod out of your ears and listen to what I am saying: he was/is overrated.

The moment he stepped into the game of basketball he was a punk with a lot of talent. Nobody will ever question the amount of talent the guy had, but you can always question his drive, his attitude, and his work ethic. This is a guy who was lucky enough to go to the ever so beloved basketball driven traditional power Georgetown, an even better academic institution... for free. This was a guy lucky enough to get drafted # 1 overall, play for a great city with basketball tradition, and play for one of the games greatest coaches. Problem is: he never reached his hype or potential. Was this because he was over hyped unfairly? No. He was talented, but he was the me-first generational problem in the NBA that haunted the league until the new wave of millenials took control. He played for riches, for image, and because it came easy to him.

The NBA lacked identity when Jordan began to fade. The next mega marketing scheme for the league was to get every wannabe thug suburban middle class jump shooting fundamentally driven basketball fan to bizarrely worship the very athlete they could never be. He stormed into the league with endless cross overs and consistent bricks (he never shot over 46% in a season), but man did he ever look "street" doing it. The image that had taken over middle class america (aka the economic growth of every NBA product) was all about image, not content. Who cares if the ball went in, at least you looked good shooting it, right? This was the attitude of Allen Iverson.

He was never a good shooter, but that never inspired him. Practice is the only way you get better, and no more telling of his attitude than the always famous "practice" rant the year after he won "MVP". Most "Valuable" Player... I guess so. Was he valuable because he was the games greatest? Not in my opinion. One can argue the fact that he was (by definition) "valuable" because he was on such a poorly talented team, but others can argue the reverse, which is that he made his players worse like a disease, the antithesis of Michael Jordan. He was a cold, a virus. Shot after shot, miss after miss, he would ask for the ball on the inbounds, dribble out the clock, and throw up an unconscious effort. For someone who appreciates the game of basketball, this always disgusted me. Thank god for the LeBron James effect that hopefully will bring the artistry back to the NBA because the "Michael Jordan Effect" sure gave kids across the country that thought that they could throw up every shot in the book. Problem is, Jordan shot 50% for a career. Iverson did not.

We all thought he "carried" the sixers to the NBA finals in 2001, but what did he go through? The Vince Carter led Toronto Raptors? Give me a break. Back then, it was more of the (L)eastern conference than a competitive NBA conference. No matter who came out of the east, it was nothing more than a sacrificial lamb to whichever Western Conference team made the finals. The most memorable image of the series? Iverson stepping over Tyron Lou. Exactly. A nobody. Big deal, just like Iverson's career. He shot horrendously from the floor and was an even bigger head case off it.

Everyone thought it would work in Philadelphia, and then Denver, and then Detroit, and then Memphis,... and then Philadelphia.... again. I never did. I laughed at the notion that the sixers did him a "favor" by sending him to a contender. They ridden themselves of baggage. There was a certain jealousy he expressed on Denver, for it was the first time he wasn't "the man" (even though it was his best chance at winning a title), then (in the single dumbest trade in NBA history) he wound up on a Detroit team willing to put up with his nonsense until he began to fake injury. This was a playoff team. I thought Allen "played his heart out for the game, for glory"? Nope. Just a selfish player who collected paychecks and always "kept it real". He wants his shots, his touches, his glory (even if the gym is empty). What a sad sight this off season it was to see this once cocky thug have to entertain ideas of playing in Europe and only have 1 team offer him an NBA contract (Memphis). Pathetic. Collected checks once again and moved on to Philadelphia. Now he's lying about his daughters health in order to get out of the one thing that would have made him great: work ethic.

It's really a shame. Practice. That is what made Jordan the player he was after being cut from his Varsity team in high school. Practice. That's what has made LeBron James a great shooter after his first season in the NBA. Practice. That's what keeps Kobe Bryant motivated to be the best, and to earn it. Practice. That's all it really would have taken. Practice. Get better, improve on your inflated statistics and finally choose quality over quantity. Practice. Being a good teammate, listening to your hall of fame legendary coach and learn the team aspect of basketball. Practice. Not a game, not a game, not a game..... Practice. But what are we talkin' about man? Oh that's right.... a waste of talent.

Happy "retirement"