Top 180 Quotes & Sayings by Allen Iverson - Page 3

When you get to that level, it's not a matter of talent anymore - because all the players are so talented - it's about preparation, about playing smart and making good decisions. If I don't believe it, then they don't need me on the court. I've just got to believe that in my heart.

I just try to look into the mirror, and work on the things that I wasn't doing, and I made a promise to myself that after the season, I will look at the same mirror, and say that you did everything you could

If you're struggling with your shooting, then do other things on the basketball court. Get steals, get assists, get rebounds-do anything on the court to help the team win.

I gave everything I had to basketball. The passion is still there but the desire to play is not. It was a great ride.

One of the things you have to learn is that you don't have to have the ball all the time to be effective.

I see kids today trying to do the things I did, and it makes me feel like I've come a long way.

If I can't practice, I can't practice. It is as simple as that. I ain't about that at all. It's easy to sum it up if you're just talking about practice. We're sitting here, and I'm supposed to be the franchise player, and we're talking about practice. I mean listen, we're sitting here talking about practice, not a game, not a game, not a game, but we're talking about practice. Not the game that I go out there and die for and play every game like it's my last, but we're talking about practice man. How silly is that?

I always wanted to be a Sixer. My dad was a Sixers' fan. I never wanted to leave. I wanted to start my career in Philly and finish it here.

Not a game, not a game... practice.

When I was a little kid I used to go on the playground and say: today I will shoot like Bird, pass like Magic, jump like Mike, be quick like Zeke. I am thankful to them, since without seeing them do things they did, I wouldn't be in the NBA.

When you work hard, good things happen

You make other team think you going one way and you got to sell the move going that way and you've got to really make them think that you're going that way and they're going the other way. When it ends up ultimately being a perfect crossover is when you shake them so bad that they can't even get back into the play to play defense. You're already gone. That's what I think the perfect one is to where a teammate of his has to stop you from scoring.

I dont want to be a point guard, or a two-guard, I want people to think of me as "creative", I just want to create on the court.

We got to stop people. We go ahead and we score 100 points every night, but we give up more. Our whole thing was, we know we can score, and we have to start having some kind of fun on the defensive end. Everybody want to play offense. Not too many people want to play defense. Defense is ego, pride, and that's the way we've been coming out, just taking the challenge. Man-on-man first, and having each other's back when a guy gets beat.

My whole thing is, if you love me, then love me. If you don't, then believe what you hear and run with that.

Please don't try to make things nice! All the wrong notes are right? I want it that way.

How the hell can I make my teammates better by practicing?!

I've been in Philadelphia 10 years, man. I knew it was going to be a challenge, mentally. I always thought life would come to an end if I ever left Philadelphia. And I feel like a newborn. Being in Denver it's just a better situation for me. And I'm just happy that I feel like I got an opportunity where I can win basketball games here.

I went through what I went through because God said go through it

I never took the game for granted as far as not having to work on what I needed to do to accomplish all of the things that I wanted to accomplish.

We had a lot to do with Randy being fired. If we were to do a lot better, then it probably wouldn't have happened.

I made a lot of mistakes, a lot of things I'm not proud of. But it's only for other people to learn from.

I play every game like it's my last game. All that matters is that you go out there and play every game as if it was your last.

Mistakes happen. But after a while you've got to stop making them happen twice.

People think that I'm some tough renegade, black-hearted being, evil, but that ain't me.

My whole thing was, just being me. Now, you look around the NBA and all of them have tattoos, guys wearing cornrows. Now you see the police officers with the cornrows. I took a beating for those types of things.

Life is short. Im gonna be happy with mine.

I remember playing in a tournament when at home we didn't have light, because my mom spent her last money on my sneakers.

I don’t even have money for a cheeseburger!

I take everything I learned from the streets and put it in my NBA game.

I was the bridge between the Michael Jordan era and LeBron James era.

I believe in my heart I'm the best player in the world. I'm just a scorer. I try to put the ball in the basket for my team. I'm just confident in my ability to play ball.

You can put a murderer in a suit, and hes still a murderer.

God chose Memphis as the place that I will continue my career.

Believe me, I am not even that brave enough to miss that many practices.

In 2001 we didn't have all the talent in the world, we just had me on offense and just a bunch of tough ass dudes, and a great coach in Larry Brown.

I would rather win than have good sportsmanship.

I just wanted to set a good example. I wanted to do things that I hadn't done before. My whole thing was to just try to be professional. I think when you work hard, good things happen, so obviously, because we're going to the Finals.

You know, I've always told him (Larry Brown) I wanted the relationship that Michael Jackson... Michael Jordan, I'm sorry. ... I wanted the same relationship with him like Phil Jackson and Michael Jordan had.

We talkin' bout practice?

I am the MVP and I gotta worry about the trade talk.

We're sitting in here, and I'm supposed to be the franchise player, and we in here talking about practice. I mean, listen, we're talking about practice, not a game, not a game, not a game, we talking about practice. Not a game. Not, not... Not the game that I go out there and die for and play every game like it's my last. Not the game, but we're talking about practice, man. I mean, how silly is that?.. And we talking about practice. I know I supposed to be there. I know I'm supposed to lead by example... I know that... And I'm not... I'm not shoving it aside, you know, like it don't mean anything. I know it's important, I do. I honestly do... But we're talking about practice man. What are we talking about? Practice? We're talking about practice, man.

A jump shot can get you a shoe deal, a big house, a supermodel, fancy cars, a bunch of yes men, a Swiss bank account. But none of these things can get you a jump shot

The basket looked like an ocean, and I was just throwing rocks in.

If that many people recognize how hard I go every night and what I put into my game, to make myself and my team better, it means a lot to mean. I'm fortunate; I'm blessed to be in the situation that I'm in right now.

People try to start things with me because of who I am, and I know that means I have to stay away. Its definitely racial.

I don't put pressure on myself. I just compete.

I've always said, just go ask my teammates if you want to know about me. Go ask the guys that I've played with. Don't ask or get information about me from people who are not in the locker room or not around me all of the time. Then you'll get legit answers.

Only the strong survive.

I wasn't a bad guy. I just wanted God to give me a second chance.

It's unfair because the people booing, I believe, wouldn't want to have their child booed. Fans don't understand our lives and what we go through. They don't look at us as humans. We love the fans because they support and love the game, but at the same time it hurts when they turn their back on us.

Everything comes back around. You never thought Louis Vuitton and Gucci and all that other stuff would come back. You know what I mean? And now it's one of the highest brands there is out. Everything just comes right back into circulation. Baggy jeans might come back out again. Might be a while, but they might.

When I was young, everyone laughed at me when I said that I wanted to be a professional basketball player...now it's my turn to laugh.

I thought we'd be discussing about me not leaving Philadelphia and they just kept asking me about the practice, so I lost it.

We talkin' about practice?

I want to return to the NBA this season, and help any team that wants me, in any capacity that they feel that I can help. I'm disappointed.

I didn't know I had this many fans in Puerto Rico. I'm going to carry this memory to my grave.

I love you Philadelphia. I want to thank you for accepting me, and letting me be me and make this my home forever.

I'm going to always be a Sixer til I die.

There's nothing less than that. I don't care about just going to the playoffs; I've been to the playoffs before.