May 7, 2002, is not a happy day in the history of the Philadelphia 76ers or 2001 NBA MVP Allen Iverson.
Four days earlier, the 76ers were eliminated on the road in Game 5 against the Boston Celtics 120-87, allowing the Celtics to win the Eastern Conference quarterfinals series 3-2. Iverson’s season was over, just one year removed from a run to the 2001 NBA Finals.
Frustrated by a year full of criticism from coach Larry Brown surrounding Iverson’s work habits, Iverson let loose on how he felt about it:
I’m supposed to be the franchise player and we’re in here talking about practice. Not a game — we’re talking about practice. How silly is that? I know I’m supposed to be there, I know I’m supposed to lead by example, I know that. I’m not shoving it aside. I know it’s important, but we’re talking about practice.
A memorable rant, if not a particularly fond memory itself.
But no matter! In this time of staying safer at home, frequent hand washing, and staying at least 6 feet away from others due to the coronavirus pandemic, Iverson used the latest anniversary of the “practice” rant as a message that would benefit everyone:
We talkin about practicing social distancing!!! #StayHome #StaySafe pic.twitter.com/wJZjQU5I7V
— Allen Iverson (@alleniverson) May 8, 2020
Iverson, 44, was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016. This tweet will definitely be in the quarantine time capsule of 2020.