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**Coatesvillain** · 10-30-2004, 07:30 AM

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It is probably a great understatement to say that 76ers guard Allen Iverson has never had much of a love for practice in the past. Disdain may be too soft.

And, almost everyone remembers the infamous day on May 7, 2002, the "We're talking about practice" press conference.

When asked if he was enjoying practices this season under Sixers coach Jim O'Brien a man he called "fair" more than once on Friday, even Iverson mocked that notorious press conference.

"Practice? Practice?," Iverson asked. "No, I honestly feel that way. I honestly feel that the practices are a lot more enjoyable than they have been for me. I think it's just coming in and being able to compete. He (O'Brien) lets us be free on the basketball court. We go through our drills, but they're always competitive.

"Basically we do the things we're going to have to do in a game. I don't think he stops the pace as much as coaches have. I think he (O'Brien) might be looking out for me by making the practices fun as he is, because it keeps me interested. I'm just looking forward to coming in here every day."

O'Brien repeatedly has said that one of the things he likes most about his players are their intensity level at practice and it's been that way since the first day of training camp.

"To date, they have never taken a practice off, even for a little bit," said O'Brien, whose team opens the season Wednesday at Boston. "I like that. I think that it always gives you the foundation at the beginning of the year. The best teams in the NBA generally practice the best."

OK, we aren't exactly into the regular season yet, but is this a new Iverson? The 29-year-old star guard, who is in his ninth season, says he gets it now.

"Maybe this is a bad thing, and maybe I should've gotten the picture earlier, but I have it now," he said. "It's mental with me now as far as being a leader. The whole thing is, the seasons are going by just like that. Now looking back, I'm nine years in. Time is not waiting on me and it's getting more and more serious for me.

"That's just like if you're handling your financial situations, in the beginning you get some money and all you're doing is spending and spending. Then you figure out in a couple more years, that money's not going to be coming in like it used to, you get serious about it and start handling it the right way and investing it the right way. That's the same thing that I'm doing as far as my career."

"I'm getting a lot more business-oriented as far as what I do on and off the court," Iverson added. "I'm just looking forward to doing something positive, being a positive influence for guys like Andre (Iguodala) and young guys on this team."

Iverson, who is extremely impressed with Iguodala, repeated what he said in the first few days of training camp, that he's almost as excited about this season as he was his rookie year.

He also loves O'Brien's offense, which has Iverson playing point guard and makes it harder for teams to double-team him, and he loves O'Brien's defensive schemes as well.

With shooters like Willie Green, Kyle Korver and Aaron McKie, and big men such as Corliss Williamson, Kenny Thomas and Marc Jackson, Iverson said it makes it tougher on teams to stop the Sixers' offense.

"It just makes (the offense) that much stronger because people can't concentrate on me so much," Iverson said.

Iverson said an example of O'Brien's fairness is Iguodala, a rookie, is in the starting lineup (over Glenn Robinson) and the fact that projected starters Willie Green and Samuel Dalembert were beaten out by veterans McKie and Jackson.

"I think the most important thing about that is how guys respond to it," Iverson said. "I think Willie has responded to it well; he comes in and gives it all he has. And I think Sam did the same thing.

"I think the best thing about coach is he's fair to the players. He's not putting guys in situations that they're uncomfortable in. The best man is getting the job. The guys that play defense are going to play. I'm just looking forward to a long season with him. Hopefully, a lot of years to come."

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**Max Payne** · 10-30-2004, 09:07 AM

Wow....you know how long I've waited for AI to come out and say things like that ? Heaven be praised ! Now only if he lives up to his words, which I feel this season he will.

**Kunlun** · 10-30-2004, 10:12 AM

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Originally posted by Max Payne!
Wow....you know how long I've waited for AI to come out and say things like that ? Heaven be praised ! Now only if he lives up to his words, which I feel this season he will.

He always says things like that before each season.