Authenticity
If there is anyone I really want to aspire to be, I want to be Allen Iverson.
There are many legends I get to watch playing. Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Paul Pierce and Stephen Curry are among my favorite players.
Jordan has the will to win. Bryant will do anything just to win, including wearing all kinds of shoes in one season. Pierce is always a hero for being the anchor of the the second Celtics Big Three. Curry revolutionized the game by downing baskets further from the hoop - and having the humility to make better players than him even better.
The four players I mentioned are true team players. They do not go against the norm. They focus on winning. They thrive cooperating with coaches who mostly deserve their credit. They do not hog the team all the time - I grew up believing even Jordan wanted Rodman on his team to grab rebounds. I aspire to be team players - when there is a great coach who builds a great ecosystem for me to grow as a person, and contribute fully as a team player.
However, they just aren't Allen Iverson.
Iverson is the anti-hero of NBA. He is so influential, he epitomized a bygone era in NBA that will probably not be seen again, because he just stands out to be his own Answer.
No one since Iverson, or maybe before him, will have his own swagger and style. If you think wearing an oversized T-shirt and baggy sagging jeans is sloppy, Iverson is probably still hustling anyway. And NBA has since then implemented a dress code - ah, I love to be a rebel and go against the establishment and just wear what I like, heck care sponsors.
Not since Iverson do we see someone not practicing and still give his best in the game. He's very intense in games and everyone around his team can feel it.
I also think Iverson is one of the few who has a defined sense of loyalty to his close circle of friends. He treats his friends and Mom warmly like a son or brother. He also chooses to disengage with people he doesn't like, and even heckle at his coach when things don't go his way.
Iverson carried his team to reach a Conference Final. I really prefer him to LeBron, who is toxic and generic as compared to Iverson. Plus, too 'perfect' and too self-inflated, as compared to the direct and straight-up guy Iverson.
There are many legends I get to watch playing. Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Paul Pierce and Stephen Curry are among my favorite players.
Jordan has the will to win. Bryant will do anything just to win, including wearing all kinds of shoes in one season. Pierce is always a hero for being the anchor of the the second Celtics Big Three. Curry revolutionized the game by downing baskets further from the hoop - and having the humility to make better players than him even better.
The four players I mentioned are true team players. They do not go against the norm. They focus on winning. They thrive cooperating with coaches who mostly deserve their credit. They do not hog the team all the time - I grew up believing even Jordan wanted Rodman on his team to grab rebounds. I aspire to be team players - when there is a great coach who builds a great ecosystem for me to grow as a person, and contribute fully as a team player.
However, they just aren't Allen Iverson.
Iverson is the anti-hero of NBA. He is so influential, he epitomized a bygone era in NBA that will probably not be seen again, because he just stands out to be his own Answer.
No one since Iverson, or maybe before him, will have his own swagger and style. If you think wearing an oversized T-shirt and baggy sagging jeans is sloppy, Iverson is probably still hustling anyway. And NBA has since then implemented a dress code - ah, I love to be a rebel and go against the establishment and just wear what I like, heck care sponsors.
Not since Iverson do we see someone not practicing and still give his best in the game. He's very intense in games and everyone around his team can feel it.
I also think Iverson is one of the few who has a defined sense of loyalty to his close circle of friends. He treats his friends and Mom warmly like a son or brother. He also chooses to disengage with people he doesn't like, and even heckle at his coach when things don't go his way.
Iverson carried his team to reach a Conference Final. I really prefer him to LeBron, who is toxic and generic as compared to Iverson. Plus, too 'perfect' and too self-inflated, as compared to the direct and straight-up guy Iverson.
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