"It wasn't funny back then" - Allen Iverson debunks media’s misinterpretation of his infamous 'we talking about practice' rant

Allen Iverson will be releasing his new biopic titled "Misunderstood," where he discusses his time as a budding basketball player and his career in the NBA. One of the marquee chapters in the book is his now-legendary rant about practice in 2022.

Looking back to the famous press conference, Iverson admitted that it was humorous, but he believed it was a serious rant, stemming from questions about his dedication to the game.

"I definitely see humor in it. But if you were me, you would know what was going on at that time. It wasn't funny back then," Iverson said in a report by the CBS Mornings. "I was upset about the practice thing. I could have explained myself a little better. (From 3:30)

In the rant, Iverson mentioned the word "practice" 22 times to emphasize his frustration about the media's questions about his work ethic.

It came following the Philadelphia 76ers' first-round playoff loss against the Boston Celtics. At the time, Iverson was bugged by issues surrounding him and then-76ers head coach Larry Brown.

A year before his rant, Iverson led the 76ers to the NBA Finals, losing to the LA Lakers in five games. He also won that season's MVP award.

Over two decades later, Iverson's "practice" rant has remained a popular quote in mainstream sports.

Iverson, who is now 50 years old, played 14 seasons in the NBA, retiring from the sport in 2011.

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Allen Iverson wants to disprove misconceptions through his memoir

For Allen Iverson, the "Misunderstood" memoir was to disprove some of the misconceptions about his personality on and off the court.

In the same interview, Iverson got candid about his struggles with being labelled as a "thug" during his prime years in the NBA.

"Misunderstood comes from 'you think you know, but you have no idea," he said. "There are a lot of things that people have said about me throughout my career. A lot of those things hurt...Calling me a thug when I know I'm not (and) judging me for how I look."

He finished his career as an 11-time All-Star, mostly remembered for his time in Philadelphia. He was also credited with revolutionizing fashion in the NBA.

The book was published last Oct. 7. The memoir also featured his life in Virginia, and what molded him into a successful NBA player.