Philadelphia 76ers: Allen Iverson’s legacy will live on forever

While his on-court style and scoring made him the best point guard in Philadelphia 76ers’ history, Allen Iverson’s ‘practice’ rant cemented his pop culture legacy.

On this day 18 years ago, Allen Iverson officially transcended his place as one of the best point guards in Philadelphia 76ers history. By uttering the word ‘practice’ more times than one would like to count – it was 22; I counted- Bubba Chuck officially became a meme the likes of which will far outlive you, me, and everyone we know.

And frankly, I’m all about it.

Have I watched AI’s infamous rant? Yeah, like a million times, but every time I do, be it on TV, when it’s referenced in auxiliary media, or it finds its way into the Twitter comments section in GIF form, I instantly crack a smile and think back to simpler times.

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When Iverson came to town in 1996, the 76ers were in rough shape. Gone were the days of Charles Barkley, Bobby Jones, and Dr. J, and in their place were five straight seasons of losing basketball without a clear light at the end of the tunnel a la ‘The Process’ 20 odd years later.

Iverson changed all of that.

By the end of his rookie contract, Iverson was a full-time starter, a full-on All-Star, and among the best pound-for-pound scorers in the entire NBA. His unique sense of style, one that flew in the face of the Sixers’ traditional stylings, lent itself perfectly to a new era of basketball in South Philly – one of black and gold uniforms, Hip Hop the Rabbit, and this kid.

The Answer parlayed this on-court success, style, and swagger into a slew of off-court endorsements, a lifetime shoe deal with Reebok – with signature shoes fittingly named ‘The Question’ and ‘The Answer’ – all the while remaining the coolest dude in the NBA.

And by flipping out on the Philadelphia media over questions about his practice habits, Iverson’s legacy as a true blue rebel was cemented.

I mean, think bout it, how many other players are willing to air their grievances in such a public manner in the middle of their primes in what would turn out to be a Hall of Fame career? Iverson went from a scoring champion in 2000-01 to a player on the verge of being traded who publicly quarreled with his head coach and privately dealt with the loss of his best friend. And through it all, his passion was routinely questioned despite having an even better season in 2001-02 than he had in 2000-01 across the board.

There has not been, isn’t now, and will never be another player like Iverson in basketball or really, sports in general.

Allen Iverson is a basketball unicorn. Despite standing a shade short of 6-foot, Iverson’s larger-than-life persona has cast a massive shadow over the City of Brotherly Love that may never truly pass until another player – Joel Embiid perhaps – can confidently take his place in the sun as the new face of the Philadelphia 76ers. But until that day comes – and even after it – Iverson’s practice rant, and all of the emotion behind it, will remain in the pop culture lexicon for, well, ever.