Iverson drops by for... practice?
The players on the Sixers' summer-league team were working out. With them was an unexpected participant.
By Marc Narducci
Inquirer Staff Writer
It was the third of four days of practice before a group of 76ers rookies, free agents and selected veterans travels to the NBA's Minnesota Summer League, and the competition was fierce.
Many players were trying to catch the eye of first-year coach Jim O'Brien. Among others, there were Marques Green, the diminutive point guard out of St. Bonaventure; Tyrone Barley, the guard out of St. Joseph's; and Kyle Korver, the Sixers' rookie sharpshooter from last season. There was also Allen Iverson.
Allen Iverson?
No, that wasn't a stand-in. Making a surprise visit to yesterday's morning workout at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine was none other than A.I., and we're not referring to Andre Iguodala, the Sixers' first-round draft choice.
There was Iverson, running up and down the court with the wanna-bes, playing full-court basketball and, believe it or not, genuinely appearing as if were enjoying the practice.
Iverson, who played a career-low 48 games last season because of various injuries, is looking to get back into basketball shape for the Olympics. He is due to report to the U.S. Olympic team's training camp in Jacksonville, Fla., on July 26.
"That was the main purpose of me coming here - to work out before I go to the Olympics," said Iverson, who missed the Sixers' final 12 games last season with a bruised right knee and hadn't played or done any public interviews since the Sixers' 101-69 loss at Miami on March 20. "I want to get as much running in as I can get in."
Iverson said his off-season has gone well, especially because he has been out of the spotlight.
"I feel great," he said. "I have been able to spend a lot of time with my kids and wife and try to have as much fun as I can have before I have to go get back to work again."
Iverson said that his knee felt fine and that the only thing he wanted to do now was regain his wind. The younger players weren't giving him a free pass on the court.
"One thing about young guys is they don't want to be shown up by other guys," Iverson said. "Instead of getting shown up, they try to play hard and aggressive with me, and that's what I need. I don't need anybody who I can go over the top of."
Imagine being a player such as Green, the undrafted 5-foot-7 point guard from Norristown. His assignment was to attempt to stay with Iverson.
"It felt great having him here," Green said. "He's real cool, giving guys pointers, real positive, and you can tell he is more of a team player."
Iverson wasn't looking to dominate, but to finish the workout not breathing too heavily. His immediate goal is to increase his endurance.
"I'm not in the greatest shape because I haven't been playing as much," he said. "I have spent a lot of time rehabbing my knee, getting in as much weight training as I can."
Iverson is looking to put last season behind him. It wasn't just the injuries that made the season so frustrating. It was that the Sixers missed the playoffs after having made five consecutive postseason appearances.
"I'm definitely looking forward to having a better season than I did last year, and I want the team to have a better season," he said. "With all the negative things going on, I'm just approaching things positively."
Yesterday's workout might have proved as beneficial to Iverson as to the young players he was competing against.
"I've been lifting [weights] without running a lot up and down the court," he said. "But I'm here, and everything feels fine, and I'm ready to go to work.
"When you don't play the game for a while and then are able to play it, then it's kind of like a kid in a candy store. You kind of forget what you have been missing, not playing the game. Just to come here and play with these young guys was special to me, because I know I make them play harder, and they do the same with me."
Green said he was impressed with how Iverson was distributing the ball.
"He was trying to get everybody involved and not worrying about himself but the team," Green said.
The Sixers will depart for Minnesota after today's final workout and then play five games in the summer league beginning tomorrow.
O'Brien didn't mind finding some playing time yesterday for an additional player.
"Allen told us he was going to try to get some work in prior to the Olympics, and it was great, and we had a good practice," O'Brien said. "He got up and down the court and found out where he is from a conditioning standpoint."
Iverson, who turned 29 in June, will be entering his ninth NBA season.
"I tried to help Coach with the young guys, but I feel like I'm getting real old," he said, laughing. "I'm the oldest guy here, and I wanted to help these guys run up and down the court."
taken from philly.com
so it looks like A.I. was rehabbing and lifting weights.. sb posting here was wrong
I say.. can we say *****.. i don't even like the word..
The players on the Sixers' summer-league team were working out. With them was an unexpected participant.
By Marc Narducci
Inquirer Staff Writer
It was the third of four days of practice before a group of 76ers rookies, free agents and selected veterans travels to the NBA's Minnesota Summer League, and the competition was fierce.
Many players were trying to catch the eye of first-year coach Jim O'Brien. Among others, there were Marques Green, the diminutive point guard out of St. Bonaventure; Tyrone Barley, the guard out of St. Joseph's; and Kyle Korver, the Sixers' rookie sharpshooter from last season. There was also Allen Iverson.
Allen Iverson?
No, that wasn't a stand-in. Making a surprise visit to yesterday's morning workout at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine was none other than A.I., and we're not referring to Andre Iguodala, the Sixers' first-round draft choice.
There was Iverson, running up and down the court with the wanna-bes, playing full-court basketball and, believe it or not, genuinely appearing as if were enjoying the practice.
Iverson, who played a career-low 48 games last season because of various injuries, is looking to get back into basketball shape for the Olympics. He is due to report to the U.S. Olympic team's training camp in Jacksonville, Fla., on July 26.
"That was the main purpose of me coming here - to work out before I go to the Olympics," said Iverson, who missed the Sixers' final 12 games last season with a bruised right knee and hadn't played or done any public interviews since the Sixers' 101-69 loss at Miami on March 20. "I want to get as much running in as I can get in."
Iverson said his off-season has gone well, especially because he has been out of the spotlight.
"I feel great," he said. "I have been able to spend a lot of time with my kids and wife and try to have as much fun as I can have before I have to go get back to work again."
Iverson said that his knee felt fine and that the only thing he wanted to do now was regain his wind. The younger players weren't giving him a free pass on the court.
"One thing about young guys is they don't want to be shown up by other guys," Iverson said. "Instead of getting shown up, they try to play hard and aggressive with me, and that's what I need. I don't need anybody who I can go over the top of."
Imagine being a player such as Green, the undrafted 5-foot-7 point guard from Norristown. His assignment was to attempt to stay with Iverson.
"It felt great having him here," Green said. "He's real cool, giving guys pointers, real positive, and you can tell he is more of a team player."
Iverson wasn't looking to dominate, but to finish the workout not breathing too heavily. His immediate goal is to increase his endurance.
"I'm not in the greatest shape because I haven't been playing as much," he said. "I have spent a lot of time rehabbing my knee, getting in as much weight training as I can."
Iverson is looking to put last season behind him. It wasn't just the injuries that made the season so frustrating. It was that the Sixers missed the playoffs after having made five consecutive postseason appearances.
"I'm definitely looking forward to having a better season than I did last year, and I want the team to have a better season," he said. "With all the negative things going on, I'm just approaching things positively."
Yesterday's workout might have proved as beneficial to Iverson as to the young players he was competing against.
"I've been lifting [weights] without running a lot up and down the court," he said. "But I'm here, and everything feels fine, and I'm ready to go to work.
"When you don't play the game for a while and then are able to play it, then it's kind of like a kid in a candy store. You kind of forget what you have been missing, not playing the game. Just to come here and play with these young guys was special to me, because I know I make them play harder, and they do the same with me."
Green said he was impressed with how Iverson was distributing the ball.
"He was trying to get everybody involved and not worrying about himself but the team," Green said.
The Sixers will depart for Minnesota after today's final workout and then play five games in the summer league beginning tomorrow.
O'Brien didn't mind finding some playing time yesterday for an additional player.
"Allen told us he was going to try to get some work in prior to the Olympics, and it was great, and we had a good practice," O'Brien said. "He got up and down the court and found out where he is from a conditioning standpoint."
Iverson, who turned 29 in June, will be entering his ninth NBA season.
"I tried to help Coach with the young guys, but I feel like I'm getting real old," he said, laughing. "I'm the oldest guy here, and I wanted to help these guys run up and down the court."
taken from philly.com
so it looks like A.I. was rehabbing and lifting weights.. sb posting here was wrong
I say.. can we say *****.. i don't even like the word..
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