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76ers Legend Allen Iverson Once Left Practice to Eat Taco Bell

Philadelphia 76ers Hall of Famer Allen Iverson wasn't a big fan of practicing. In fact, he disappeared in the middle of a session one time to eat some Taco Bell.

Justin Grasso

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_

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA

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