That Wasn't Necessary

I'm not sure if any of you caught the little segment on Comcast's SportsNite about how Elton Brand will be coming off the bench in his return tomorrow. If you did, you may know where this is going. If you didn't, let me just say it was irresponsible journalism at its finest. And guess who was narrating the segment?



Yep, good old Dei Lynam. Well, Ms. Lynam decided to take it upon herself to portray Elton Brand as the ultimate unselfish teammate, taking his soundbites about how he's happy to come off the bench to do anything to help the team.

Then, Dei flashed back to another one of Allen Iverson's infamous interviews, this one from when he was returning from injury and interim coach Chris Ford asked Allen to come off the bench. Iverson rightly questioned Ford's decision:

"A lot of people might look at it like it's a selfish thing or something like that," Iverson said. "Why wouldn't I start? I'm the franchise player here. I don't know any franchise players that come off the bench. I don't know any Olympian that comes off the bench. I don't know any All-Star that comes off the bench. I don't know any former MVP that comes off the bench. I don't know any three-time scoring champion that comes off the bench.

"I don't know any first team All-NBA (player) that comes off the bench. Why Allen Iverson? Why should I come off the bench? ... I think it is an insult to me. Who I am as a player, who I am to this organization, who I've been to this organization, that's an insult to me to come off the bench if I'm a starter."

Then Dei made a snide remark about how maybe Brand isn't as accomplished as Iverson was, but he is a two-time All-Star and still had no problems coming off the bench, unlike the stubborn, selfish (she never said stubborn or selfish, but certainly implied it) Iverson. Well you know what, Dei Lynam—and Comcast for that matter—fuck you. Comparing Allen Iverson and Elton Brand on any level is downright ridiculous.

Iverson is a surefire Hall of Famer, the former face of the franchise and undisputedly the best player on every team he was on in Philadelphia. When Ford was in town, he had no supporting cast around him. And the Sixers weren't winning. They were losing. A lot. So how would sitting your best player improve that exactly?



It wouldn't. Meanwhile, Brand doesn't have nearly the credentials or credibility as Iverson. Brand is a two-time All-Star, true. Well guess what, Tyrone Hill made half as many All-Star appearances. Oh, and Elton Brand has made exactly zero teams he's been on better. When he was with the Bulls, they stunk. And we all know how good the Clippers have been. Lest you forget, Allen Iverson carried a team all the way to the NBA Finals and made the playoffs routinely with Larry Brown manning the sidelines.

Add to the fact that the Sixers, this year, completely sucked with Brand on the court and suddenly have come to life during his absence, and it makes sense to bring him off the bench and ease him into game shape. The team has played better without him. The Sixers weren't playing better without Iverson back then. They were playing worse.

And then, to portray Brand as such a good, nice guy … please. Maybe you should ask Mike Dunleavy just how great of a guy Brand is.

Anyway, I'm not writing this to shit on Elton, although it may seem that way. This is to admonish Dei Lynam and Comcast for taking yet another shot at Iverson, a player who hasn't been a Sixer for a few years now. It was so pathetic and unnecessary. Move on. Remember the good times. And stop digging up old skeletons when there is absolutely no reason to. Comcast and Lynam should be ashamed of themselves.

Also, Duke sucks.