On the latest episode of Gil’s Arena, Gilbert Arenas berated players who are rather notorious for missing games. Without taking any names of any current players, Arenas gave the example of the Philadelphia 76ers legend Allen Iverson. As per him, back in time, when AI used to even miss free practice sessions, the NBA media used to chastise him, even though he hardly missed any games. However, it is not the same currently, as star players miss major games and are left off the hook by the same media.
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Players like Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George have been regularly at the center of the discussion when it comes to load management. However, as per Arenas, they do not get the same treatment that AI used to get back in the day. Iverson, taking to his Instagram, reinforced the point raised by Arenas by sharing his clip with a caption,
“But y’all was talking about PRACTICE! Smh Lol Ain’t nothing but love over here lil bro @no.chill.gil.
Glad it Came from somebody that know How Hard it is To Kill EVERYNIGHT!”
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Interestingly, in the caption, AI talked about how difficult it is to “kill” every time and he included Arenas in the same list. AI easily stands as one of the best and most influential guards of his generation. He averaged a very impressive 26.7 points per game across his career of 914 games, while Arenas stands at an also very good 20.7 points a night in 552 games.
Allen Iverson and Arenas do have something in common
Even though Gilbert Arenas was known for his antics in the league, he was always talked about in high regard when it came to his work ethic. Some of his teammates, like Antawn Jamison, even kept Arenas in the same league as Kobe Bryant for his dedication and hard work.
Arenas is even protective when it comes to his dedication and work ethic. On Gil’s Arena, the former Warrior once had an outburst when Bol Bol questioned him about it. He went on a rant about how he got his place and respect in the team just because of his dedication in the practice and not feeling sorry for himself when he did not get to play.
The same can be safely said for Allen Iverson. Just like Arenas, AI had to get out and prove his worth every time he took the ball, in practice or in games. They took the opportunity every time one was thrown at them without missing games for trivial reasons. AI even used to have some genuine reasons for missing the practice, at least for most of the time.
Tired of facing media questions about his dedication and availability, AI too went on a rant in the 2001-02 season. He had a fallout with his coach Larry Brown when he was late to a meeting. Post that, when it was time to address the Sixers’ media, AI got fed up with journalists asking him about his absence from the practice and not his performance in games.
This triggered the guard, who was already suffering from the death of his closest friend at that time,
“I’m upset for one reason: ‘Cause I’m in here. I lost. I lost my best friend. I lost him, and I lost this year. Everything is just going downhill for me, as far as just that. You know, as far as my life. And then I’m dealing with this. … My best friend is dead. Dead. And we lost. And this is what I have to go through for the rest of the summer until the season is all over again.”
No doubt AI had to face a lot of scrutiny from the media and was even frustrated to this level. However, this is not to say that players currently in the league are not under the radar. The league is even trying to make new rules to curb such behaviors from star players, however, it has its own loopholes.
