Joined
·
1,455 Posts
I will never say that the tatoos or the jewelry is something I really admire or want my kids to have because they send out the wrong message to most people regardless of what era we live in. I will never say that I admire a lot of the things Iverson has said in the past and his past attitude towards practice. I will never say that I agree with the fact that he feels he's repaying his roots by giving money to his family members and friends from back in Hampton instead of helping them get educated about how to lead a better life and ensure that they can stay out of the ghetto forever. Lastly I won't ever settle for a player of his heart living around the perimeter and shooting jumpshots all day when he's the greatest slasher, bar none, that the game has ever seen. That's a lot of disapproval right there.
Yet there are reasons that I love and respect Iverson like I do few others. Call him a thug if it makes you feel good, like all those other sanctimonious sons of b*****s out there. Call him whatever you want if it helps you sleep at night. Yet there is no other superstar in this league who puts it all on the line like Iverson does. Not even Kevin Garnett, a player I respect as much as I do my own father. Iverson's infectious desire to be a champion and his dogged persistence is unbelievable. Night in and night out he takes a beating and plays through injuries because he lives on the game. All other superstars get superstar calls and ticky-tack textbook fouls, yet for Iverson almost every hard drive in the lane is an injury waiting to derail his career. Yet the love of the game is all that matters to him and he cares nothing for the risks that come with engaging in dangerous physical battles with atheletes literally twice his size. That kind of courage and passion is something that everyone can look up to. Iverson beat some unbelievable odds considering where he came from and the what he had to face as a child. Few players with the exception of a select few such as Jamaal Tinsley and Kevin Garnett can truly attest to beating these kinds of odds and becoming an international icon.
Iverson had his issues during the early days but no one can question his heart, his desire or his competitiveness. His story is one that gives hope to people all over the world, not just Philadelphia, Hampton or the US. There's a reason why if you ever walk around in Philadelphia, you'll see a familiar jersey every 5 minutes. There's a reason why people all over the world speak of Iverson and love and respect him as if he was one of their own. There's a reason why the entire franchise of the 76ers was suddenly lifted by his very presence. With the exception of the fact that he will never be an NBA champion, Iverson's is a story that will never be marred as Kobe's story has been marred. Say what you will, curse Iverson's existence and spit on his name all that you want if it makes you feel good. It all stems from the fact that Kobe will never get this kind of adoration and respect, even if I will be the first person to admit that on many fronts, Kobe is Iverson's superior as a basketball player. Iverson knows when to let his confidence fuel his passion but also knows to defer to the greatest players the game has ever known, like Jordan, Magic, Isaiah, Bird and more recently Shaq, another reason why he is so loved.
Justice will be served when in the annals of basketball history, Kobe goes down as a stunning player, yet a lost and forlorn individual, hated and despised much more than loved due to his arrogance, penchant for unnecessary drama and Shaq era titles. Iverson will go down as a champion who was never really a champion but who, in the war of life, faced the odds in the square in the face and beat them with the same ferocity that he beat the best defenses of his era night in and night out. He will be forever embraced as the incredible competitor whose talent was surpassed only by his determination and passion for the game. He will forever be one of the most loved, respected and idolized atheletes the world or any sport has ever seen. To judge a man of his character solely by his outward appearance is something sanctimonious bigots have always used to somehow justify their rage at the fact that a man so small can be such a giant and can command such love and respect.
Yet there are reasons that I love and respect Iverson like I do few others. Call him a thug if it makes you feel good, like all those other sanctimonious sons of b*****s out there. Call him whatever you want if it helps you sleep at night. Yet there is no other superstar in this league who puts it all on the line like Iverson does. Not even Kevin Garnett, a player I respect as much as I do my own father. Iverson's infectious desire to be a champion and his dogged persistence is unbelievable. Night in and night out he takes a beating and plays through injuries because he lives on the game. All other superstars get superstar calls and ticky-tack textbook fouls, yet for Iverson almost every hard drive in the lane is an injury waiting to derail his career. Yet the love of the game is all that matters to him and he cares nothing for the risks that come with engaging in dangerous physical battles with atheletes literally twice his size. That kind of courage and passion is something that everyone can look up to. Iverson beat some unbelievable odds considering where he came from and the what he had to face as a child. Few players with the exception of a select few such as Jamaal Tinsley and Kevin Garnett can truly attest to beating these kinds of odds and becoming an international icon.
Iverson had his issues during the early days but no one can question his heart, his desire or his competitiveness. His story is one that gives hope to people all over the world, not just Philadelphia, Hampton or the US. There's a reason why if you ever walk around in Philadelphia, you'll see a familiar jersey every 5 minutes. There's a reason why people all over the world speak of Iverson and love and respect him as if he was one of their own. There's a reason why the entire franchise of the 76ers was suddenly lifted by his very presence. With the exception of the fact that he will never be an NBA champion, Iverson's is a story that will never be marred as Kobe's story has been marred. Say what you will, curse Iverson's existence and spit on his name all that you want if it makes you feel good. It all stems from the fact that Kobe will never get this kind of adoration and respect, even if I will be the first person to admit that on many fronts, Kobe is Iverson's superior as a basketball player. Iverson knows when to let his confidence fuel his passion but also knows to defer to the greatest players the game has ever known, like Jordan, Magic, Isaiah, Bird and more recently Shaq, another reason why he is so loved.
Justice will be served when in the annals of basketball history, Kobe goes down as a stunning player, yet a lost and forlorn individual, hated and despised much more than loved due to his arrogance, penchant for unnecessary drama and Shaq era titles. Iverson will go down as a champion who was never really a champion but who, in the war of life, faced the odds in the square in the face and beat them with the same ferocity that he beat the best defenses of his era night in and night out. He will be forever embraced as the incredible competitor whose talent was surpassed only by his determination and passion for the game. He will forever be one of the most loved, respected and idolized atheletes the world or any sport has ever seen. To judge a man of his character solely by his outward appearance is something sanctimonious bigots have always used to somehow justify their rage at the fact that a man so small can be such a giant and can command such love and respect.
