| | PHILADELPHIA -- Allen Iverson and Larry Brown reached a
truce Monday in the ugliest of their many squabbles, following a
pattern both have perfected: Fight, ignore each other for a while
and then become best buddies again.
Iverson backed off his request to be traded, and Brown said he
understands the Philadelphia 76ers star player better than ever.
Both left one question unanswered: How long before this happens
again?
| |  | |
| Iverson |
"I think the next time, he'll handle it better," Brown said
before the Sixers played the Detroit Pistons. "I'm sure it's going
to happen again, but I think I'll understand better why it can be
handled and we can move on."
But that was not the end of the story. General manager Billy
King denied a report in Tuesday's Philadelphia Inquirer that Brown
talked about resigning last month after an argument with Iverson.
"As far as I know, and Larry and I talk every day, he's never
indicated that to me," King said early Tuesday.
The Inquirer quoted unnamed team sources who said Iverson and
Brown argued in the locker room after a 74-70 victory over the New
York Knicks in Philadelphia on Nov. 30. According to the report,
Brown told Iverson, "I don't know if we can go on like this. If we
don't fix this situation, I'm going to have to resign."
The report said Iverson told Brown, "We're in this together.
Neither of us are going anywhere."
Two team sources close to Iverson and Brown told The Associated
Press that an exchange took place, but wasn't taken seriously by the organization.
"In the heat of the moment following a game, there are a lot of
things that are said that aren't necessarily taken at face value,"
said one of the sources, who spoke on the condition they not be identified.
Iverson, Brown and King met with Sixers
president Pat Croce for about two hours Monday. The discussion,
initiated by Croce, was heated at times while assistant coaches
shuffled in and out of Brown's office during the team's morning shootaround.
Brown and Iverson eventually settled their latest feud over the
coach's decision to bench the starters Saturday night when the
Sixers were getting blown out in Detroit.
Though Iverson was booed during introductions Monday night, he
scored 32 points and made a pass that led to Eric Snow's winning
shot as Philadelphia avenged that loss with a 122-121 victory over
the Pistons.
"This was a perfect ending to it," Iverson said. "And not
just because we got the win, but because my teammates did a lot of
things tonight that a lot of people in the stands would expect me
to have to do."
Iverson said his meeting with the Sixers brain trust was
"hostile at the beginning, but that was needed. It was something
that should've never happened. I got a lot out of. It's no secret
that I want to be in Philadelphia. I don't want to go anywhere."
Later, in the hallway of the First Union Center before the game,
Iverson promised, "It'll never happen again, man. I owe myself an
apology for putting myself in this situation."
Despite striking similarities to a litany of other disagreements
between Iverson and his coach, Croce came out of the meeting
feeling this time will be different.
"I'm glad Allen erupted, because from negatives you get
positives," Croce said. "This is really the beginning of a new
term for the franchise, because both of them shook hands with a
passion between the two of them."
The feud erupted when Iverson criticized Brown for benching him
during Philadelphia's 104-91 loss in Detroit on Saturday. Brown
sent all the starters to the bench with 8:15 left in the third
quarter and the Sixers trailing 73-50.
The subs cut the deficit to seven points. George Lynch and
Tyrone Hill returned, but Brown kept Iverson, Eric Snow and Theo
Ratliff on the bench.
Iverson, who scored 19 points, was the only player to question
the coach's decision.
"It can definitely be a disruptive situation if coach Brown
can't come back and coach the way he was coaching and Allen can't
come back and play the way he was playing," Lynch said.
Iverson's comments after the game were his most scathing toward
Brown during their rocky three-year relationship. And they stung
even more because Brown was sitting about 10 feet away.
"For some reason, my style doesn't fit this team anymore,"
Iverson said Saturday. "If that's the way it is, something needs
to happen. Something's got to give. If I'm hurting this team, I
need to get out of here."
Adding an ominous tone, Iverson added, "I mean every word I'm
saying. Every single word."
On Monday, Iverson said, "I said some things I didn't mean,
things that hopefully won't come back to haunt me. I made a
mistake.
"When you sit me out, I get mad -- not because I'm selfish, but
because I'm a competitor," Iverson said. "I want to be out there
helping my teammates. The wrong word was said when I mentioned
trade, because that's the last thing I want."
Of course, this may not be the last time Iverson and Brown
clash.
Since Brown was hired for the 1997-98 season, the two have
argued about everything from playing time and shot selection to the
dress code. They had an ugly encounter last year when Iverson
cursed Brown after the coach sat him out for a few minutes.
Each time, they have patched up their differences. Iverson won
the NBA scoring title last year and led the Sixers to the playoffs
for the first time since 1991.
Despite the truce, Brown acknowledged that he and Iverson have
clashed numerous times this season.
"You guys don't even know the half of it," Brown said. "I
have a lot of talks with him."
There are sure to be more. | |
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Iverson to Sixers: Get me out of here if I don't fit in
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