"What did Popovich do next time Spurs played after Allen Iverson made those comments?" - Andre Iguodala takes a shot at AI while reflecting on coach Pop's relationship with Tim Duncan

Allen Iverson and Tim Duncan were two of the biggest NBA superstars in the early 2000s. The brash point guard and the laidback big man were opposites in almost every way imaginable. Their personalities were great catalysts for their respective teams’ success.

Andre Iguodala, on an episode of Point Forward, recalled just how differently Iverson and Duncan approached the game. Here’s how the Golden State Warriors forward emphasized the difference between the two legendary players:

"Remember Allen Iverson was like, ‘I’m a starter and I’m not coming off the bench. He named all his accolades and he says, ‘I’m not a player that comes off the bench, I’m a starter.’ What did Popovich do the next time the Spurs played after Allen Iverson made those comments? He brought Tim Duncan off the bench."

The incident Iguodala was talking about came in the game between the Philadelphia 76ers and Detroit Pistons on March 14, 2004. Philadelphia head coach Chris Ford told Iverson that he would not start due to an ailing knee. “The Answer” had missed three games before the matchup against the Pistons but had been declared fit to play.

Iverson was furious and refused to play any part in the game, saying later that he was too good to come off the bench:

“I don’t know any franchise players that come off the bench. I don’t know any Olympian that come off the bench. I don’t know any All-Star that come off the bench. I don’t know any former MVP that come off the bench. I don’t know any three-time scoring champion that come off the bench. I mean I don’t know any first-team All-NBA [player] that come off the bench. Why Allen Iverson?”

Without Iverson, the 76ers had no chance against a strong Pistons team, losing 85-69. Chris Ford was fired at the end of the season.

Two days after the incident, San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich pulled Tim Duncan, the reigning MVP, out of his starting unit. He was replaced in the lineup by Malik Rose against Kevin Garnett's Minnesota Timberwolves.

Duncan still played 27 minutes and finished with a double-double of 22 points and 10 rebounds, leading the Spurs to a 106-86 win. “The Big Fundamental” started all but one game that season, and that was the game after Allen Iverson made his comments.

Tim Duncan and Gregg Popovich won five titles together and made the San Antonio Spurs the gold standard for NBA franchises.

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Steve Kerr likened Steph Curry’s selflessness to that of Tim Duncan

Steve Kerr compared Steph Curry to Hall of Famer Tim Duncan. [Photo: SFGATE]

Steph Curry missed the last 12 games of the 2021-22 regular season due to an ankle injury he sustained in a game against the Boston Celtics. The two-time MVP was under strict minute restrictions in the first round of the playoffs versus the Denver Nuggets.

The two-time MVP wasn’t part of the starting unit in the first four games of that series. Despite coming off the bench, “Chef Curry” put in solid performances for most of the series.

Head coach Steve Kerr, on his part, praised Curry’s selflessness.

"I gave him a choice because he had a 20-minute restriction the first game," Steve Kerr said. "I told him this is how the minutes would play out for you if you started versus if you came off the bench. Typical Steph, he said, 'No, it sounds way better to come off the bench. That way I don’t have to sit too long between my minutes.'

"It never even entered the equation that this would be a blow to his ego or anything."

Curry had a jaw-dropping performance off the bench in Game 2. He dropped 34 points, highlighted by 5-10 shooting from long range in barely 23 minutes of action.

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