Aaron Rodgers and Allen Iverson are probably not the first two names that come to mind when you think of similar people, but they both share a similar opinion on practice.
Advertisement
Rodgers has had a very weird season this year. On one hand, the Packers are second place in the NFC at 9-3, and they’re looking strong to make a deep playoff run once again, and the Packers quarterback is still performing at a high level.
On the other hand, Rodgers came into the season with a lot of drama looming over his head as all offseason, he hinted at a breakup with the Packers. Remember that? Those talks died down once the season started, but then just a few weeks ago, Rodgers was once again at the center of headlines.
The Packers quarterback contracted Covid-19, and then it was revealed that he wasn’t vaccinated, something he had strongly suggested he was earlier in the year. Then, during his quarantine, Rodgers suffered a toe injury which he almost considered getting surgery for.
Aaron Rodgers calls on Allen Iverson in rant about missing practice
Between contracting Covid-19, quarantining, and his toe injury, Rodgers has missed a significant amount of practice, and it’s something Pat McAfee brought up on the Pat McAfee show.
However, not practicing has become something of a routine now for the reigning NFL MVP. “It’s kind of the habit now,” Rodgers detailed. “It takes 21 days to form a habit, so we’re going on that many days of not doing a whole lot of practice.”
So, how does this have anything to do with Allen Iverson? Well, if you remember, Iverson had one of the most iconic rants in NBA history when he went off about how practice doesn’t really matter since he’s a franchise star. It’s this rant where the famous, “We talking about practice!” phrase comes from. The rant came after 76ers coach Larry Brown chastised Iverson for missing practices after Philly lost to the Boston Celtics in the playoffs.
Rodgers had a similar rant on the Pat McAfee show (although nowhere near as emotive or angry) as he talked about how he’s good enough and has played long enough in his career at this point to know that he can play at a high level without practicing.
“Last year was amazing. I felt incredible. That’s not the case this year; I’m obviously missing a number of practices now. I’m not going to disparage practice and say it’s not important. I think it’s important. I think there are things to be talked out and figured out during the week by practicing and taking those reps,” Rodgers detailed. “At the same time, I’m old enough, I’ve been in this league long enough, I’ve played in enough games where I can still go out and perform at a really high level without practicing.”
The Packers quarterback is still ready to go this weekend for a matchup against the Chicago Bears who he claims to own. If history is any indication, then this game against the Bears should be no problem for Rodgers, whether he practices or not.
