76ers Legend Allen Iverson Once Left Practice to Eat Taco Bell
Nowadays, you can't bring up Philadelphia 76ers legend Allen Iverson without hearing somebody spewing the words "Practice?!" in their finest Iverson impression. Surprisingly, the infamous press conference from May of 2002 still has relevance to this day.
Nobody could ever question the effort of Allen Iverson on game night. The former No. 1 overall pick always hustled and played every game like it could be his last. When it came to practice, though, Iverson wasn't all that enthused, as we know.
While Iverson's frustrations during the infamous press conference stemmed from a deeper meaning than feeling questioned for his work ethic, the 76ers legend seriously wasn't a fan of practicing during his first stint with the Sixers.
Not only has Iverson missed practices, and skipped out on hitting the weight room frequently, but the NBA Hall of Famer once left during the middle of a practice session to satisfy his need for some Taco Bell, according to the author of 'Only the Strong Survive,' Larry Platt.
"There [was] a moment where he disappears from practice because his guy Gary Moore had Taco Bell outside in the little hallway [at the practice facility]," Platt told Rich Hofmann of The Athletic. "Allen goes out, downs a few burritos, and then comes running back in and rejoins the scrimmage."
The guy loved his Taco Bell. "There was a reason we took him [to Taco Bell] when they would do the "Fan Day" (events), where they would stick players in different parts of the city," said former 76ers sideline reporter, Dei Lynam.
Missing practice isn't great. However, showing up to practice, disappearing midway through the session, and returning to the court after taking down "a few burritos," from Taco Bell is truly something special.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_