Why did Iverson say "training" 22 times in a row?

You may have heard that Iverson once said "training" 22 times in a press conference; you may have heard that the most famous sentence Iverson said was "What are the 'training' we don't discuss competitions?" This press conference became one of the famous scenes in Iverson's career, and Yao Ming was still making jokes with Iverson about this when he gave a speech in the Hall of Fame.

Recently, Iverson said helplessly to reporters: "(I am) All-Star, All-NBA, Hall of Fame, the top 75 stars in history... Do you really think I don't train?"

So, since that's the case, what's going on with that press conference? Why did Iverson say that at that time? What exactly does he mean?

The press conference took place in May 2002, when the Philadelphia 76ers was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, the team ended the season, and Iverson accepted the usual "season end press conference."

And the day before that press conference, the team's head coach and team president, Larry Brown publicly told reporters: "Iverson should not be absent from training, he needs to set an example as the team leader."

Brown's words are of course direct criticism against Iverson. And because of Brown's identity as the team's president, people wonder whether this means that the Sixers will trade Allen Iverson.

This deeply hurt Iverson.

Just a year ago, Iverson was the league's scoring king and stealing king. He was the league's regular season MVP. He led the team to the finals and scored 48 points in front of the "OK combination". He is the league's favorite with the number one jersey sales, and naturally the absolute hero of the Philadelphia 76ers.

After just one year, he is still the league's scoring king and stealing king. He is still the league's first in playing time, the league's first in the league's number of shots, and the league's first in the league's number of free throws, but because he is eliminated in the first round, he will be traded?

Just because he missed training?

What's more, everyone knows what Philadelphia means to Iverson, and everyone can clearly see how desperate Iverson is on the court. Everyone will ask themselves: If there is only one person in the world who really gives his life to play, then that person must and can only be Allen Iverson.

For such a person, do you really believe that he does not respect basketball? Just because he missed training?

It is easy for people to think: a player should respect and participate in training no matter what! ——This is right, but, no, this is not the case, and these are still not the whole truth. We need to go back to that day, back to that press conference, back to the moment when Allen Iverson was just eliminated, he slowly spoke up for himself...

Facing the reality of the end of the season, Iverson was in a low mood. He spoke up and said slowly:

"I love Larry Brown, he did a lot for me. Without Larry Brown, there would be no Allen Iverson who won the MVP. He helped me a lot. But when losing, There will be (rumors of the discord between the generals and the coaches & trading rumors): When you win, everything is great, people praise Iverson and Brown; once you lose, people will fire at me and Brown again. That's it, I can only accept it."

Speaking of this, he suddenly tilted his head and looked at the reporters in the audience, his eyes full of sadness:

"You are curious why I said I am not the cornerstone of the team - look at this press conference now, and see what we are talking about at the moment. I believe He is the best player in the world, but the cornerstone of the team will not be treated like this. The daughter of the cornerstone of the team will not always be asked when she is in school: 'What's going on with your dad? What's going on with him and the coach? ' This and that. She is only seven years old, so she has to face these things."

He opened his hands to the reporters, and as if he opened his wounds to show them, he gestured to the reporters:

"I'm sad, I'm very hurt. I know I'm better (better than the Iverson in your writing) . I give everything, and I give everything for this city, this team, and my teammates. No one in the world is more desperate than me. But I am treated like this, and it is really hurt. I am tired. Everyone knows - everyone including you know - I want to stay here, I think I have been a 76er in my entire career. But I am tired (being treated like this), and I will be sad and hurt."

Speaking of this, he choked up slightly, lowered his head slightly, and said silently. Maybe, he can no longer speak at this time; maybe, he no longer knows what to say at this time.

At this time, a reporter suddenly spoke: "Larry Brown said you were absent from training, can you talk about this?"

At that moment, how would you feel if you were Iverson?

When you are in trading rumors as the league's scoring king and stealing king, when you just brought the team to the finals the year before but suddenly heard that you were going to be sold, when you tried your best to fall on the floor countless times in every game but were chased and blamed for missing a training session...

More importantly, when you open your heart to people, tear up and show your pain, and choked and tell how sad you are, but find that no one cares about it, but only cares about whether you missed a training session, how would you feel?

When the reporter asked a question, Iverson lowered his head, both like disappointment and despair.

When he picked up the microphone again, he spoke softly and quickly: "If someone says that, then he said that; I missed one training all year long, that's all, why do you have to do such a big fight." After that, he continued, "If you need to trade one person in order to make the team better, then trade, I fully understand. That's it. The Phillies deserve victory. Imagine if you have a child who is already sensible and someone is talking bad about his parents every day, just because (his parents played) a football game, how would you feel? Really, think about it, you all have children, you can definitely imagine it. This is what my daughter has to face every day: ‘Tell your dad and let him stay in the team. ’’Dad, the teacher told you not to leave. ’'Dad, the girl in the same class said you are going to be traded’... (My daughter faces these every day) just for a game? A game of football? match? ”

The room gradually became quiet. Maybe it was because the reporters gradually finished asking the questions they should ask; maybe it was because no one could answer Iverson's question again.

"You try to think about it in my situation. Although you can't fully imagine because you can't bear everything I've experienced in this life, try it and try to understand me. I don’t need to understand me for a day, even for a minute. Just one minute, think about what I have encountered and faced in my life, and try to understand me. ”

The people in the room were silent, and then Iverson stood up and left.

"Okay, it's time for you to go home and enjoy a better life. ”

(NBA official website)