Allen Iverson played under many coaches in his NBA career, but none were as impactful as Larry Brown . They worked together on the Philadelphia 76ers from 1997 to 2003, peaking in 2001 when they reached the NBA Finals. The pairing never won a championship together, but they significantly impacted each other.
That particular 2000/01 season was their best campaign, as Allen won the regular MVP award while Brown earned the Coach of the Year award. It was a magnificent campaign that showed both men loved working with each other, which Larry feels is arguably the best part of his career.
“I think God put me here to coach Allen Iverson, and I look at that as an honor. At the time I was coaching him, I don’t know if I would have said that,” Brown told NBA TV.
Iverson and Brown’s tense relationship
In a 2001 game against the Detroit Pistons, Brown took out Iverson and other starters four minutes into the third quarter. The 76ers were down 23 points, which led to A.I. showing his displeasure because that never happened before in his career.
Allen was angry and called for Brown to get fired , and if it did not happen, he would request a trade. It was a disrespectful decision for Iverson because he was the team’s star, and he felt he could start to mount the comeback since he could score points to cut down the 23-point lead.
Days after the controversial game against Detroit, Iverson and Brown had a meeting where the star guard did not hold back.
"You say this team's a family when it's convenient, but then you go talk about me in the newspapers," Iverson said, per Sports Illustrated . "If it's really family, then you keep it in the family! You don't disrespect me like that. There are times when you're coaching me, and I'm looking at you, trying to learn, and I can tell you're thinking I don't give a f*** what you have to say. You think I'm not listening because of an expression on my face. Well, I hear you. I hear everything!"
Thankfully, Brown came back to his senses and reconciled with his superstar player. They continued their strong campaign, cementing themselves as the best team in the Eastern Conference while proving they are the best player-coach duo in the league.
Iverson looks back at his time with Brown lovingly
Amidst all their clashes, Iverson stayed with Larry until the coach resigned in 2003. A.I. regards the 76ers tactician as the best coach he ever played with, showing that their working relationship was strong enough for them to consider each other a significant part of their respective careers.
“Greatest coach ever. Cause he’s just the best. When you’re a basketball player, and you know the game, and you understand the game, and when you learn to get better, you have to recognize people like that,” Iverson said on the same NBA TV special. “He just knows it bruh, great at X’s and O’s, and even outside of that. The only regret that I have as an athlete is not buying into what he was selling earlier in my career.”
Considering Brown won a championship with the Pistons a year later, his love for Iverson shows how much A.I. means to him. Thankfully, the respect and appreciation are mutual because Iverson kept calling him the best coach ever.
Related: Rasheed Wallace talks about his experience playing with Allen Iverson - "This m*****f****r is a rockstar, culture star"
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