Allen Iverson Encourages NBA Fans to 'Practice' Social Distancing

On Thursday, NBA fans everywhere celebrated the anniversary of one of the most memorable press conferences of all time. Philadelphia 76ers legend Allen Iverson was never one to shy away from speaking his mind during his playing days. You might not always like what he said -- but if a thought is in his head, he won't hesitate to let it out.

That mentality from Iverson created the unforgettable 'practice' rant. Eighteen years ago, on May 7th, a disgruntled Iverson approached the podium for what was expected to be a regular old exit press conference before heading into the offseason days after being eliminated from the NBA playoffs.

But the star guard was already on edge and ready to lash out. The entire press conference from 2002 is excellent, but the rant about practice is what stood out and stuck to the fans and media after all these years.

"Practice?! We're talking about practice?" Iverson shouted. "Not the game that I go out there and die for and play every game like it's my last. Not the game, but we're talking about practice, man. I mean, how silly is that?"

We talkin about practicing social distancing!!! #StayHome #StaySafe pic.twitter.com/wJZjQU5I7V
— Allen Iverson (@alleniverson) May 8, 2020

Silly enough that the interview is often referenced even after all these years. In the past, Iverson has revealed he doesn't necessarily love the 'practice' rant as much as everybody else does -- but the former Sixers star does try to embrace it every once in a while. And on Thursday's 18th anniversary of the presser, Iverson decided to pay tribute to himself by encouraging people to "practice" social distancing.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_