Ripping Billy King, Mainstream Media: Addressing the AI Saga in Philly

Nope, I'm not a sexist. I'm not ripping [former] tennis star Billy Jean King. I'm ripping the current Philadephia 76ers Team President Billy King for his handling of the Allen Iverson saga. I'm also going to rip the majority of mainstream media who can't seem to appreciate the talents that AI brings to the court every night, leaving it all on the court. Bill Simmons gets it, but no one else seems to, and that really chaps my ass.

In the interest of full disclosure, let me first point out that I may have a skewed view on The Answer. I won't get into his career statistics because you can readily access them and ESPN is putting them up like they're going out of style. Also, I'm not going to get into his statistics because they only tell a piece of the story, a piece of the struggle, a piece of the mystery that is AI.

The Necessary Rip Job

First, the GM. Billy King and I have something in common: we both attended Park View High School in Sterling, Virginia. But the similarities come to a screeching halt right there. King attended Duke where he starred for the Blue Devils, whereas I grew up with not a single ounce of basketball skill and detesting all things Duke whenever I could. King then ascended through front offices and the coaches' bench to become the 76ers Team President a few years ago.

After a run to the NBA Finals, King knew exactly what the team needed to complement AI: a proven frontcourt scorer, a tireless rebounder, and defensive players who were not demanding at the offensive end. Knowing or not knowing what he needed, King delivered ... the wrong players ... for the wrong price. In fact, here is a snapshot of the bad contracts King has engineered:

* Signed power forward Kenny Thomas to a 7-year, $50million contract
* Traded for an aging Chris Webber, who had more than half of his 7-year, $122million contract remaning.
* Traded for the expiring contract of Jamal Mashburn ($10.075million) despite knowing the likelihood that Mash's career was over (credit: jefflittle.ca/blog)
* Signed guard Kevin Ollie to a 5-year, $15million contract
* Signed center Samuel Dalembert to a 6-year, $58million extension

In sum, King has failed in his charge to carry out his duties, as an ample amount of money has been at his disposal to make the necessary moves. The sad thing is that the latest swirl regarding AI supercedes any poor decision made by 76ers management since King's inquisition. As it stands, the 76ers will not get 100% value for AI. They'll be fortunate and lucky to get 80. Why is this? Clearly, AI has been treated like he's a nuisance in the locker room, a negative influence to the up-and-comers, and an all-out loser. News flash, Walter Cronkite. This diminishes trade value, but I guess the egos of soon-to-be former 76ers employees are more important than the future of the franchise. Not to mention, so much of the accusations are untrue, which leads me to much of the mainstream media, who have tarnished the image of AI.

Get It Straight

Throughout his career and recently, the majority of mainstream media has labeled Allen Iverson as "selfish", a player who "does not like to practice", and a "coach killer".

Yes, AI is selfish. He's very selfish because he wants to win so badly it hurts. All the greats are. His team lost its third straight road game of a seven-game trip, as the supporting cast failed to show up for the game, let alone practice. His bones ache. His small frame has been bruised and battered for minutes on end, after running end-to-end and making plays for his team.

With all of these ailments, would you want to practice? I understand that Michael Jordan is the best player ever because he was the best practice player. However, I also understand that certain NFL players who do not practice yet bring it on gameday are called "warriors". Don't believe me? Did Steve McNair practice often in the tail end of his tenure as Titans quarterback? Absolutely not. Yet, he was a warrior. While basketball and football players experience different types of injuries and levels of punishment, fans' perceptions are often molded by irresponsible, unaccountable members of mainsteam media who flap their gums just to wade in the pool of hypocrisy. If Iverson didn't represent the "thug image" that scares the mainstream, he'd be called a warrior, and I'm certain of it.

Is AI a coach killer? Perhaps, he is. After Larry Brown's exit, the 76ers haven't had any real coaches for Iverson to kill. Nevertheless, is it fair to blame AI for a trend that takes place league-wide when teams don't perform to expectations? I think not.

With that said, members of the media need to get it straight. AI has never had a supporting cast to be successful and he never will in Philadelphia. Jordan had Pippen and Grant. Magic had Kareem and Worthy. In terms of AI, the man, he is not the same kid from Hampton who got arrested and paid for it in jail. He has become more mature and hasn't let his riches get to his head. He's aware of his talents and even more aware that families can live for a year on a single one of his game checks.