When Keeping it Real Goes Wrong: Allen Iverson

            This past weekend, my team lost for the first time during the 2012 Wake County Bar Association basketball league.  We began the season 5-0 and I had hopes that we could maintain our momentum.  Our momentum was halted a bit with the loss but in our defense, we were missing two of our top scorers.  I do not believe in excuses and I have to credit the opposing team for executing their game plan.  I played well and scored 25 points, but there is no “I” in team, right?  That brings me to the point of this article-IVERSON.  I grew up watching Allen Iverson play basketball at Georgetown University and then later in the NBA for the Philadelphia 76ers.  His impact on the game of basketball during the late 1990’s through 2007 is undeniable. His rise to stardom coincided with hip hop’s rise in mainstream America.  He made it cool to wear cornrows, have tattoos, and play the game with relentless aggression and passion.  Iverson’s talent has never been questioned, but his work ethic and decision making, now that is a different story.  He did not take practice seriously and he never adapted his game for a day when he physically could not dominate as he once was able to do so.  That day has come and it is disheartening to see such a warrior down and seemingly out for the proverbial count.  When keeping it real goes wrong describes what his life has become.

Allen Iverson was raised in a rough part of Virginia, where loyalty and “looking out” for family is important, if not sacred.  Iverson often discussed how his circle of friends protected him and kept him out of trouble as he grew up.  He credits that same group of people for supporting him while he was incarcerated during his senior year of high school.  When he was interviewed, he always seemed to feel like he owed those people everything.  It is sad that when people from rough, checkered backgrounds finally “make it,” they feel they have to repay the debt to loved ones by giving financially.  They fail to realize that if they do not take care of themselves, the entire group will collapse.  When high profile celebrities do not “hold down” their friends by giving handouts, they are considered “sell outs.”  Jay-Z has been called a sell out for his public disassociation with long term friend, Damon Dash.  He has also been blamed for not “holding down” Beanie Siegel.  I hate to hear that because my dad always told me to be my own man.  He told me never to depend on the next man or woman to provide for me.  As an adult, providing for yourself and your family is what you are expected to do.  Members of Iverson’s circle of friends have to be held accountable for their own actions and ultimately for their own lives.

Reports have been swirling with respect to Allen Iverson’s finances.  I recently read an article which stated he had an outstanding jewelry debt of over $800,000.00.  The article also discussed how a court garnished his bank account in an attempt to pay the debt.  The first thing I thought was “why is he buying jewelry at this level of his life?”  It was cool to wear jewelry and over sized white T-shirts when he was in his 20’s.  However, due in large part to David Stern’s mandate regarding the NBA players’ dress code, and the emergence of well dressed superstars, Iverson’s image is no longer popular.  Lebron James, Chris Paul, D. Wade, and Carmelo Anthony are all super stars and all of them wear tailored suits and dress like grown, professionals.  It seems the NBA matured and Iverson never got on board.  In another article I read, it discussed that Iverson grossed over 150 million dollars during his career.  That is a staggering amount of money to have made and squandered.  It is disheartening because Iverson represents so many young, urban athletes who were raised poor and became rich almost overnight.  Their sense of loyalty, which should be revered, is also the same sword that inevitably chops off their heads.  I have no doubt that if you asked Iverson if he did the right thing, he would answer affirmatively.  He would tell you how he “kept it real” he would tell you how he did not “sell out.”  What he probably will not tell you is how his friends did not keep it real with him.  Instead, they drained the well until it went dry.  Iverson was paying a debt to his friends that he could never repay with any amount of money.  His debt he felt he owed to his friends is just like the hamster running on the wheel.  No matter how hard the hamster runs, it will never escape the box which it lives in.  That box for Iverson is in his mind and is a prime example of what happens when keeping it real goes wrong.

The very thing that made Iverson a great basketball player is also the thing that doomed him for failure.  Iverson is a victim of his talent.  Iverson had natural, God-given ability to play the game of basketball.  He did not have to practice nearly as much as an average player in order to be successful.  During his career, I heard rumblings of Iverson partying until 4am in the morning and then scoring 40 points the next night.   Basketball was easy for him.  I still remember his interview when he was asked why he missed practice.  To paraphrase, he said something like: practice, practice, I mean we are talking about practice, not a game, but practice.  It was that attitude that held him back during his later years.  The opposite attitude and approach to the game enabled harder working players to maintain their healthy diets, and strict work out programs while Iverson was still partying and avoiding offseason conditioning.  Guys like Steve Nash, Ray Allen and Kobe Bryant all entered the NBA in that famed 1996 draft class along with Iverson.  They are all still playing at a very high level.  Also, each of the aforementioned players adapted their respective games because they knew that one day they would not be as athletically gifted as they once were.  If you watched Iverson throughout his career, his game was predicated on speed, athleticism, and pure aggression.  He was never a great shooter, or a great pick and roll player.  He was a scorer at heart and as soon as his skills diminished, and he was no longer the “go-to-guy,” his ego would not allow him to play a different role.  I do not blame him necessarily, because his whole life he was “the man” and his circle of “friends” were undoubtedly “yes men” who told him he was still “the man” even when they knew better.  Somebody should have been telling Iverson the truth that he was still a good player but that he was no longer the number one option.  Someone should have been pleading with him to stick to a strict diet and avoid alcohol and fast food.  Somebody should have kept it real with him.  Unfortunately, because nobody did, he epitomizes the latest example of when keeping it real goes wrong.

Peace    

CIAA 2012: Old School Songs I Hope to Hear

The CIAA tournament is celebrating its 100^th year of existence during the last week of February 2012.  As the tournament approaches, I have been thinking about certain “old school” hip hop and r & b songs I would like to hear that weekend.  I began attending the tournament when I was in elementary school.  At that time, the tournament was held in my hometown of Winston-Salem, North Carolina.  My mother volunteered to work games at the tournament and she was able to secure me a job as a ball boy during the tournament games.  One thing I remember about the tournament, even at my young age, was that it was a fashion show of sorts.    I vaguely remember a guy everyone called “Mr. CIAA,” who wore suits adorned with matching hats, pocket squares and even a cane to the games.  That experience was great.

I also remember attending the cheerleading competition that was held at Hanes Mall.  I was not interested in who won the competition—I was interested in looking at the beautiful cheerleaders.  I appreciated beauty even at a young age.  In all seriousness, the tournament has always represented a time I look forward to and as the years pass, I began appreciating the tournament on a much higher level.  Now, I appreciate the history of the tournament and the sacrifices many people endured to make sure the tournament has lasted for 100 years.  Although I appreciate the rich traditions and history of the tournament, I enjoy the nightlife the event creates.  For instance, I have not attended a basketball game for at least 15 years.  The tournament also marks one of the few times each year when I am able to hang with my college friends, who I rarely get a chance to see.

Last year, I arrived in Charlotte on Friday night around 10:30 p.m.  This was ironic because I planned to be in Charlotte by no later than 6pm.  One thing I have learned about plans is that they are made to be broken in many instances.  The funny thing about my arrival time was that I left Raleigh around 6:00 p.m.  The traffic was terrible as I left Durham and we rode through a torrential downpour as we passed through Greensboro, North Carolina.  When we finally arrived, we had to hurry into our room and change clothes before heading to the party.  We went to a party that was held at a restaurant in uptown Charlotte.  The D.J. did a great job spinning that night, and I had a great time.  This year my friends and I have not determined which party we are planning to attend, but wherever we go, I would like to hear the following songs.

     

Peace

Text Messaging: How it Ruined our Ability to Communicate Effectively

As I get older, I often reminisce about past times and how our society has changed.  It is funny and ironic because I also remember my dad telling me how things used to be back in his day.  Now, when I have children, I will be saying the same things to them. I remember a time, not too long ago, when we did not have cellular phones.  If we did, we had the bag phone, or the phone Nino Brown made popular in the movie, New Jack City.  Do you remember pagers or beepers?  I remember going to Exxon, or BP in Winston-Salem and returning a page on a pay phone.  When I left my parents house, I kept a quarter in my pocket for that very reason.  During my freshmen year of college, I had a cell phone, but I had limited minutes.  By my junior year, my phone was able to send and receive text messages.  Before that time, we had to dial a number, press send and actually “talk” to the person at the other end of the phone.  The ability to communicate effectively is very important and I feel that text messages, emails, bbm’s and other non-personal communicative methods have seriously set our society back.

Getting to Know Someone of the Opposite Sex

Back in the day, when you mustered up enough courage to approach a beautiful young woman, you knew that getting her telephone number was only half the battle.  You knew that you would have to call her.  You knew you would need to be able to hold an intelligent conversation if you wanted things to go further.  You had to decide when the best time to call was.  Should you call the next day?  Should you play it cool and wait a few days?  Should you call her the same day?  (You might seem pressed)  Should I call in the afternoon, or should I wait until the night to call.  If I call at night, what message would that send to her with respect to the type of woman I think she is?    Most people had all or at least some of these questions swirling around in their minds. Once you finally called the young lady, it was time to talk to her.  This lead to another set of questions.  Should you lead the conversation?  Should you allow her to lead the conversation and show her your keen ability to listen?  No matter how you answered the questions in your head, you knew that you had to talk to the young lady.  You did not have the ability to send a text message.  You could not send her a message on Facebook or Twitter.  In my opinion, those people who text and never call really (1) don’t have good communication skills or (2) are not that interested in hearing what you have to say.

The Effect of Lack of Communication Skills

If you have ever been to a networking event, you have certainly seen the person who looks like a deer in head lights.  They are inevitably stationed at the food or drink bar, and look uncomfortable.  I am so happy I came of age at a time when communication skills were important in society.  Networking leads to jobs, contacts, and opportunities.  I fear the younger generation is ill equipped to network and hold conversations that may lead to opportunities.  I cannot blame this problem solely on text messages, however.  Email has also contributed to the younger generations’ inability to effectively communicate.  It is so bad in some professional offices that employees send emails to people only a few feet from them.  Email is a fantastic invention and undoubtedly has improved communication and made it a lot faster and efficient.  However, emailing instead of picking of the telephone to make a phone call can have an adverse effect as well.  For instance, when following up on a job lead, I believe people should call the possible employer.  Calling a person sends the message that you are confident; you are not hiding behind an email; and you are seriously pursuing the position.  The potential employer can hear and appreciate how much you want the job.  Emotion cannot always be understood through emails or text messages.

Miscommunication is Rampant

How many times have you sent a text message and the receiver misunderstood your intended message?  You may intend the message to be sarcastic, but not crass or mean.  When the message is misunderstood by the receiver, it causes serious problems.  This is equally applicable to emails.  I received emails in the past that I had no idea what the sender intended.  I interpreted it in one way and the receiver intended to convey a completely different message.  Also, despite the best networks in the world, sometimes people DO NOT receive text messages and emails.  People become enraged and are ready to fire a retaliatory response when they send a message and feel they are being ignored.  I must admit, this is certainly not a good feeling.  However, had you picked up the phone to call the person, you would be able to speak to the person, or leave a voice mail which is more reliable than a text message or email.  I have been accused of not answering a text message before and it is frustrating especially when you did not receive a message.  In the Turner Law Building at NCCU School of Law, if Verizon Wireless was your service provider, you did not have service on the first floor, or basement level of the school.  If someone sent you a text message while you were in either place, you did not receive it.  How many relationships suffered and will continue to suffer because of failed communication?  The moral of this story is twofold: 1) take communication seriously, and (2) do not rely on an email or text message when a phone call is more reliable.

Peace