Former 76ers president details how he brought Allen Iverson, Larry Brown together
Once an explosive combination, involved in several public outbursts, years later, Allen Iverson and Larry Brown still hold an unbreakable bond and a special place in the Philadelphia 76ers history.
This week, former minority owner and president of the 76ers, Pat Croce, detailed how a simple meeting during the 1999-00 season cleared the air between Iverson and Brown, opening a path for an unforgettable run to the NBA Finals.
Croce asked Iverson and Brown to look at the situation from the other's point of view. He first told Iverson to imagine being Brown while a player cursed him out and disrespected him. Then, Croce asked Brown to envision his harsh and demanding words towards Iverson were coming from a "white prison guard."
Croce said, at that moment, Iverson and Brown's stunned reactions meant they had found common ground.
After Croce told the pair they shared the same love for the game of basketball and each other, Iverson's demeanor changed even more. The dynamic point guard popped up from his reclined position, walked around the table and hugged Brown.
Croce called the meeting a "turning point" for Iverson, Brown and the Sixers. A season later, the oddest of odd couples helped the Sixers make their first NBA Finals appearance since 1983. While they ultimately fell to the Los Angeles Lakers led by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, that 76ers squad is still beloved today, thanks mainly to the efforts of Croce.
"What I attempted to do was show the similarities between these two individuals," Croce said. "White and black, young and old. Beebop, hip-hop, it didn't matter."
Years after Iverson and Brown went their separate ways, their lovefest has never ended.
Back in 2020, Brown said Iverson made him a better coach and person in an interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. Meanwhile, during an appearance on former Sixer Vernon Maxwell's podcast in December of last year, Iverson said he still loved Brown "to death," maintaining that his only regret over his NBA career was not listening to his coach more.
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