Allen Iverson may have been drunk during that 'practice' rant

By JOHN DORN

With the release of a new Allen Iverson biography, "Not a Game," by Kent Babb, comes new light on the controversial guard's NBA career. Deadspin's Drew Magary outlined a few details from the book—none of which are particularly pleasant.

Babb writes that Iverson didn't care about fitness as an NBA player, and would eat as many as four hot dogs before select games. There are also several allusions to spousal abuse, poor parenting and alcoholism—the latter popping up in a very high-profile scene off the court.

Babb writes that Iverson was drunk during the infamous "practice" rant. The YouTube-famous press conference came soon after a meeting between Iverson and Philadelphia 76ers management, including coach Larry Brown.

In a Bleacher Report article, Iverson said he thought he was going to be traded if the conversation went poorly. The author of the book tweeted that Brown believed Iverson went to the bar immediately after the meeting, returning for the soon-to-be-notorious presser drunk.

These takes from the book are troubling, particularly the detailed examples of domestic abuse and absentee fathering. Iverson was an icon during his prime, and on the court, a joy to watch. To learn the details of his troubled career—which ended sooner than it had to, likely due to these previously unknown bits—is very disappointing.

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