Synthetic

This is the AI book.

https://www.amazon.com/Not-Game-Incredible-Unthinkable-Iverson/dp/1476778973/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1494054888&sr=8-2&keywords=not+a+game

I think it has to be the same one you speak of.

I am not that far into the book yet, been feeling crappy and going slowly. Some complained that this book paints AI in the most horrible light, but some say it's realistic since he really did become a bitter maniac alcoholic who treated his family bad. He got so bad, he told his oldest son something like "You ain't no real black guy. You been raised posh like a preppy white boy."

The altercation at the bowling alley that almost ruined his life, I am still fuzzy on. Might have to read this over. Basically according to Iverson, he and his friend were at the bowling alley and a young white guy called him the N word. Iverson beat the crap out of him some claimed and it broke out into a huge fight with furniture thrown and a ton of other people joining in. Iverson got busted and the court said guilty and he and two other friends thrown in jail. One of his friends I think already had been busted before on a few assaults.

Others claim Iverson though instigated the whole brawl at the bowling alley. I am unclear on this......

When Iverson was found guilty, a ton of people protested on his behalf outdoors. They went to the courthouse and sang "we shall overcome" and everything. I think Iverson did go to jail for a while but somehow the Governor at the time felt pressure and felt guilty and let him out early or what not. I forget the details and need to read it over. He knew how important Iverson was to the black community in Virginia and didn't want to spark anything too big as well.

So then Iverson had to be on good behavior and go to school and be a good boy in basketball.

After that, many were mad too that he only got off since he was a talented basketball player and many others were sent away forever for the same sorts of things. Which is true, it does happen. Black men are sent away ALL THE TIME for things that they really don't deserve. Iverson had such a basketball following that he was a special case even before college. He started telling people how he was going to run the world of basketball in like 8th grade. And he promised his buddies then that if any of them ever made it big, they would stick together and never part.

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Paul Pierce omg.  He and Rondo threw that big fit and are still to this day complaining about Ray Allen joining the Heat. Don't know if Pierce ever would, but LeBron did befriend Ray Allen and Pat Riley brought him to Miami. He was an essential player when it came to their Finals against San Antonio (the one they won, he was too old and injured in the rematch). 

KG and Paul Pierce have this insane loyalty thing with that championship team they had. They think they were "brothers" and they really are insane about it.

KG was always kinda nuts though. You are talking about a guy who also had odd pre game rituals:

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I would be on cloud 9 if San Antonio knocks out the Warriors. It would be hilarious...

 

 

I don't want the Warriors in the Finals cause it's a trend that there has never been a 3-peat of the same teams matched up. I'd like that for that trend to remain unbroken. Everyone expected the Cavs to go down before reaching the Finals, but I just don't see it. If there is anything LeBron has taught us the past several years is that he WILL show up in the postseason. 

 

I wish Houston had to play Golden State cause I know they would at least beat them up before losing. Curry is already getting muscle strains and they're fearing injuries. He's an injury prone player IMO. 

 

I can't say for sure the Warriors won't be beaten in the West. I am hesitant. But, they have a better shot at losing then the Cavs. Cavs are not losing to Boston or Washington. Warriors do have a shot to lose to the Spurs or Rockets. It's not a huge shot the Warriors lose, but it's a decent shot that is better then the Cavs losing.

Curry is going to break down, he is a very brittle guy. 

I do think in a way it might be Cavs/Spurs again since that finals seems to happen after so many years doesn't it?

Anyway I am off to sleep finally. Been high as a kite off and on over the NBA.  Might read another depressing chapter on Iverson to doze off. Where I am at now he is in college and well he is doing well on the court and off the court doing whatever he wants apparently since he always seemed to be a headcase in his own world.

One thing that made me feel bad, was when Iverson was in high school he had to explain to his basketball coach that he was getting drugs a lot and it's why he often was late. And the coach said "Are you on drugs?" And Iverson said "No I never did drugs and don't. I get them for my mom."

Ugh......so sad.

BTW racism with the NBA is still so bad. I mean we saw it with the Clippers owner. I am glad though the league is becoming a bit more open with it all in recent years with fighting it and I hope like hell another reason the Cavs win it all is so Lebron can mouth off against Trump and none of them go to the White House. Of course the Spurs coach might also mouth off on it which he often has and not go, and the Warriors may get political. So really all contending top NBA teams left might boycott IMO. 

But, I think Lebron could be the biggest political statement on it all and he is the biggest voice of them all. Of course Draymond Green is capable of kneeing Trump in the balls.

I was reading about Bill Russell too about playing in Boston in the old days, so sad. Oh yeah this stuff was never "just in the South".

http://archive.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2011/02/19/give_bill_russell_his_due/

Just my luck, I am still not over hay fever. It came back with a vengeance today. I'd rather be bleeding than deal with this, cause at least while having bloody noses or ears, it numbs the burning. So strange, I was fine yesterday, no problems then today it's like I'm back like nothing has changed with it. 

Warriors win again, to no surprise.

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I can't say for sure the Warriors won't be beaten in the West. I am hesitant. But, they have a better shot at losing then the Cavs. Cavs are not losing to Boston or Washington. Warriors do have a shot to lose to the Spurs or Rockets. It's not a huge shot the Warriors lose, but it's a decent shot that is better then the Cavs losing.

The Warriors seem to be out of sync with Mike Brown as head coach. Tonight, Green shoved Curry out the way to go scream at a ref, and then get into a cussing match with his coach. I'm beginning to think Kerr's best talent is putting up with this A hole. When Kerr is gone, no one can contain Green's outbursts. 

Now the Warriors are being compared to the Bad Boy Pistons cause they tied some playoff streak that the Bad Boys had. 

I wish the Warriors had to play that Bad Boys Pistons team, that would be hilarious to witness. That team would not put up with Draymond Green's crap at all, he would have a few cracked ribs by now after trying to kick someone. As fragile as Curry is, he wouldn't survive two games without someone putting him out. Old Isiah Thomas, Dennis Rodman and Bill Laimbeer did not play nice. 

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BTW racism with the NBA is still so bad. I mean we saw it with the Clippers owner. I am glad though the league is becoming a bit more open with it all in recent years with fighting it and I hope like hell another reason the Cavs win it all is so Lebron can mouth off against Trump and none of them go to the White House. Of course the Spurs coach might also mouth off on it which he often has and not go, and the Warriors may get political. So really all contending top NBA teams left might boycott IMO. 

Donald Sterling's racism had been well documented for over 3 decades. It was a known fact back in the 1980's. Players complained about comments he would make in the locker room and isolated incidents. The stuff about his racism with housing was also well documented going back decades. Stern is really to blame cause he did nothing about it, and depending on your view of the Chris Paul trade, you could argue that Stern practically awarded Sterling out of loyalty. 

If Sterling was an NFL owner though, he would be celebrated and defended. The NFL will never be progressive like the NBA is. The Texans owner for one, has funded and pushed anti-gay laws in Texas, and no one cares. Dan Synder in Washington is another fine example, the way he defends the Redskins name and invokes all the Native American imagery isn't that far off from the "get over it" arguments about slavery. The NBA under Adam Silver has done a better job than Stern ever did. They moved the NBA All Star game out of Charlotte after they passed that big transphobic bathroom law. 

The Warriors would boycott the White House visit for sure. It's the only redeeming factor of them winning it. 

Steve Kerr is very very anti-Trump too. 

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I was reading about Bill Russell too about playing in Boston in the old days, so sad. Oh yeah this stuff was never "just in the South".

 

http://archive.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2011/02/19/give_bill_russell_his_due/

I've heard about this and recently Boston was in the media with a Sox player dealing with racism. 

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This is the AI book.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Not-Game-Incredible-Unthinkable-Iverson/dp/1476778973/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1494054888&sr=8-2&keywords=not+a+game

 

I think it has to be the same one you speak of.

 

I am not that far into the book yet, been feeling crappy and going slowly. Some complained that this book paints AI in the most horrible light, but some say it's realistic since he really did become a bitter maniac alcoholic who treated his family bad. He got so bad, he told his oldest son something like "You ain't no real black guy. You been raised posh like a preppy white boy."

 

The altercation at the bowling alley that almost ruined his life, I am still fuzzy on. Might have to read this over. Basically according to Iverson, he and his friend were at the bowling alley and a young white guy called him the N word. Iverson beat the crap out of him some claimed and it broke out into a huge fight with furniture thrown and a ton of other people joining in. Iverson got busted and the court said guilty and he and two other friends thrown in jail. One of his friends I think already had been busted before on a few assaults.

 

Others claim Iverson though instigated the whole brawl at the bowling alley. I am unclear on this......

Yes, this is the book, it got wide praise last year from several review sites. I've only heard about the later incidents when he had problems with drinking and his family. The other stuff, I knew nothing about really.