‘It Was Hard for Me’

As the NBA Playoffs continue, on a team that is fairly new to the scene from the city of San Antonio, a star player is in the spotlight. His name is LaMarcus Aldridge and he was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2005 NBA Draft. He was a first round pick because of his commitment to putting in hard work in the weight room and on the basketball court. His work ethic and his desire to win has helped him to become one of the best power forwards in the league.

“It Was Hard for Me” is a series of interviews that were conducted by a former collegiate basketball player who decided to write about her journey. The first interview was with former University of Tennessee player, Brittany Jackson, who had a very tough, personal, and emotional look into her life. The interview caused a strong response from readers especially for the fact that it was written by a former player. Many readers felt that it was written the exact same way a player would act after a loss that may have been a game changer in a game that was pivotal to their team’s success or failure.

Part of the fun of watching college sports is feeling that you know the players. There are so many great players to know, and it’s great to see them grow into their potential. But on the other hand, it’s also nice to know that first-hand.. Read more about hard for me meaning and let us know what you think.

Basketball superstars Allen Iverson and Shaquille O’Neal were two of the sport’s most popular players for most of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Iverson was known for his cornrows and crossovers, which drew a large following.

What about O’Neal? His demeanor and skill level were self-evident.

Because of the NBA’s balanced schedule and the fact that they played in the same conference at different times throughout their careers, the two No. 1 overall selections and their respective clubs had some entertaining games. Despite having a physical advantage over the 6-foot Iverson, O’Neal — who stands at 7-foot-1 and 325 pounds — subsequently acknowledged that playing against the All-Star guard was difficult for him.

Shaquille O’Neal said that he hated facing Allen Iverson.

NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal (L) and All-Star guard Allen Iverson in 2001.

NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal (L) and All-Star guard Allen Iverson in 2001. Don Emmert/AFP via Getty Images NBA great Shaquille O’Neal claimed he had difficulty playing against All-Star player Allen Iverson.

O’Neal could easily body Iverson into the ground if he truly wanted to give him fits when they faced up. The Big Diesel possessed the size and strength to intimidate Iverson and send his shots into the bleachers.

When Iverson was featured by Complex in 2016, O’Neal said to the magazine that playing against him was difficult. Those self-admitted issues, on the other hand, had nothing to do with the superstar guard’s crossovers or ability to make a precise pass in traffic.

Instead, O’Neal acknowledged that his motivation versus Iverson was hampered by the latter’s attitude.

“I usually had to create something up in my head about a person in order to play against them. But I couldn’t do it with [Iverson] because I cared too much about him.”

Shaquille O’Neal is a basketball player who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Of course, O’Neal could say that after both of them had retired — and well over a decade had passed since their famous 2001 NBA Finals matchup.

In the 2001 NBA Finals, Iverson and O’Neal notoriously fought.

Outside of the All-Star Game, Iverson and O’Neal never played on the same team, which is unfortunate for basketball fans. Those who were there for the 2001 NBA Finals, on the other hand, received their money’s worth in games featuring the two superstars.

Iverson, the NBA MVP for that season and a standout guard for the Philadelphia 76ers, led his team against O’Neal’s Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers had beaten Reggie Miller and the Indiana Pacers a year before to earn the franchise’s first championship since 1988.

Despite scoring 44 points and grabbing 20 rebounds in Game 1, O’Neal was unable to halt Iverson. Tyronn Lue became a future meme template after scoring 48 points in the 76ers’ 107-101 win. On their way to a second consecutive championship, O’Neal and the Lakers won four straight games.

For the second year in a row, O’Neal was named Finals MVP after averaging 33 points, 15.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 3.4 blocks per game. Iverson was instrumental in keeping the 76ers in the series, scoring 35.6 points per game on 40.7 percent shooting.

Iverson and O’Neal are two of the NBA’s best first-round selections.

In 2016, Iverson and O’Neal were inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame together. They were one of just 19 No. 1 overall selections in league history to be inducted into the Hall of Fame as of August 2021. In the NBA Draft, 65 players have been chosen first overall.

In his remarkable career, O’Neal — the first overall selection in 1992 — accumulated 181.71 win shares (the 13th-highest score in NBA history), according to Basketball-Reference. Through the conclusion of the 2020-21 season, only four players chosen first overall had a greater lifetime win share total.

  • In 1969, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar finished first overall with a score of 273.41. (the most in NBA history)
  • In 2003, LeBron James was ranked #1 overall, with a score of 242.04. (third in league history)
  • Tim Duncan was the first overall in 1997, with a score of 206.38. (seventh in league history)
  • Oscar Robertson finished first overall in 1960 with a score of 189.21. (12th in league history)

Iverson, the first overall pick in 1996, finished with 98.97 win shares, good for 92nd all-time in the NBA. However, we believe he is more satisfied with his position among the 19 Hall of Famers than with his position in a complex statistic.

Basketball-Reference provided all stats.

RELATED: Allen Iverson and Reebok Profited $200 Million by Learning From Nike’s Michael Jordan Obsession

A few days ago I took a big step towards realizing the goals I’ve made for myself in my life. The plan I’ve made, and have been working on for the past few years, is to participate in a marathon by the end of the year. It’s a goal that has been at the forefront of my mind since I was a little boy. My parents were so supportive of my endeavors, and I’m so grateful to them. I can’t ask for anything better. When I started running it was pretty hard for me. I grew up in a little town called Clinton, Indiana. It was a pretty small town. There were only about two hundred people in the whole town. There. Read more about hard for me russ lyrics and let us know what you think.

This article broadly covered the following related topics:

  • hard to me or for me
  • hard for me meaning
  • things are getting hard for me song
  • you’re making it hard for me r&b
  • hard for me russ lyrics

Related articles

Comments

Share article

Latest articles

Newsletter

Subscribe to stay updated.