| |
 'What's he ever done?' Sixers' Iverson blasts Barkley over his magazine comments
Posted: Thursday April 15, 1999 11:30 PM
PHILADELPHIA (CNN/SI) -- Allen Iverson minced no words when asked to comment about Charles Barkley's assertion in this week's Sports Illustrated that he "can't stand that guy (Iverson)." Speaking with CNN/SI Insider Stephen A. Smith of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Iverson said, "I can't stand his fat ass either. He needs to go lose some weight, then come back and try in the next lifetime to win a championship." Iverson was responding to remarks that Barkley made to SI's Jackie MacMullan during an interview in which Barkley mentioned his disdain for Iverson. In part of a classic "Round Mound" diatribe on the state of today's young players, Barkley attacked the league's leading scorer. "He's showing no respect to anyone, least of all the game," Barkley said. Iverson apparently has mutual disrespect for its second-leading rebounder. "He's nobody," Iverson said. "How many years has he been in the league, and he hasn't even won a championship. To me he hasn't done anything. Right now, to me he's stealing money." Iverson has come under fire recently for outwardly shunning coach Larry Brown, even refusing to play the entire second half of a game. While Barkley is not known as much for controversial actions on the court, he is hardly understated off it. In this case, Iverson apparently doesn't understand why. "I've never criticized him before, but, now it's getting out of hand," Iverson said. "Why am I on his mind? Why is he thinking about me? Why is he worrying about me? "I've said it before, Charles Barkley ain't s---," he continued. "He must be mad at me, he must be player-hating, or something. If Michael Jordan criticizes me, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Isiah Thomas, then all right, maybe I'd have to listen and do some soul searching. But Charles Barkley? He's never won anything. He's been in this league this long and hasn't won a championship. "Every team he's been on, they say 'Yeah they are supposed to win it this year, they've got a shot.' He never wins, he's never done anything. I haven't been in the playoffs, but in three years, I've damn near done more than he's done." Easy there, Allen. Barkley has not only played in the playoffs, he's made the NBA Finals and was named MVP in '93. But this year, Iverson does have better number, averaging 26.6 points to Barkley's 15.8. As for who's a better trash-talker .... we'll let them duke that one out. "He [Iverson] has to show up for practice every day," Barkley said in SI. "He has a responsibility to cut the crap and not have some drama with the coach every day." "What's he done to criticize somebody like that? He hasn't done anything but throw motherf------ through windows and spit on little kids," Iverson continued. "You can't say that about me. You can talk about my game all you want, but I ain't never spit on a kid." Iverson's 76ers currently stand eighth in the Eastern Conference, Barkley's Rockets fourth in the West. Perhaps, for excitement's sake, we should root for a Houston-Philly finals.
| |||||||||||||||||
Copyright © 1999 CNN/SI. A Time Warner Company. Terms under which this service is provided to you.
| |||||||||||||||||
