Nowadays, so many pro athletes have been trained to handle questions from the media in a professional manner, meaning their answers aren’t all that interesting or informative. But in a way, that only draws more attention to the times that players and coaches fly off the rails when speaking with the press. Let’s take a fun trip down memory lane and take a look at some of the craziest press conference moments we’ve witnessed in NBA history.
Allen Iverson and Practice
Who could forget this classic from one of the most enigmatic players in recent memory? When he was pressed by reporters about missing practice, Iverson repeated the word practice exactly 20 times while trying to make a point about how absurd it was to question an NBA player about practice.
Apparently, Iverson is not aware of the phrase “practice makes perfect.” But in his defense, reporters shouldn’t be overly concerned about what happens at practice.
Mike Brown Has a Good Laugh
As a coach, you always want to be respectful and supportive of your players. But that didn’t stop Mike Brown from having a good laugh at the expense of Mo Williams. After a game in which Williams contributed a rare dunk, Brown was asked if he was aware that Williams could dunk.
Brown could only laugh and say that he was surprised at what he saw. While he didn’t mean it maliciously, it was certainly an unusual occurrence for a coach to laugh at the fact that one of his players could dunk. Of course, it was definitely a leading question from the reporter.
Avery Johnson Asks a Question
Coaching in the NBA Finals can be stressful for a coach, and we saw that with Johnson when he was coaching the Mavericks in the 2006 NBA Finals. Johnson was asked about his impression of a play in which Dewayne Wade was fouled. His answer was to turn the question back on the reporter and ask “What are your impressions?”.
It wasn’t the most professional thing to do. But it did show just how frustrated Johnson was after the game. It’s memorable because Johnson just wouldn’t let the question go and kept at it with the reporter until he asked a different question.
Shaq Dunks on Knicks at Retirement Presser
Shaq has had more than a few memorable moments with the press over the years. But he saved one of his best for when he announced his retirement. He led off the press conference by having someone hand him a phone and insinuate that someone on the other end wanted him to interview to be the GM of the Knicks.
The Knicks had just been swept by Shaq and the Celtics in the First Round of the playoffs, although Shaq didn’t play due to injury. Nevertheless, it was a great burn and well-crafted by the big man.
Ron Artest Drunk
Few of us know the joy of winning an NBA title, so it’s hard to judge Artest for his reaction. Of course, it did make for a memorable press conference when he showed up at least a little buzzed after the Lakers won the 2010 title. Artest admitted that he had some champagne and was eventually heading to the club.
He went crazy for a box of Wheaties and then demanded that a group of “people on their laptops” on the other side of the room acknowledge him. The press in the room was laughing hysterically at what turned out to be one of Artest’s craziest moments that was memorable in a fun way.