My Little AI 2002 Session
So, I got this urge the other day, thinking about Allen Iverson back in 2002. That whole season, the dude was just different, you know? The energy, the skill. I felt like I needed to do more than just watch old games. I wanted to actually try and capture a tiny bit of that vibe myself. So, I decided to hit the court.
First step was just getting out there. Dug out my old basketball, felt kinda flat but pumped it up. Headed down to the park court. Luckily, it wasn’t packed. Just a couple kids at the far end. Perfect. Didn’t need an audience for what was probably gonna be me looking silly.
Trying the Moves
Okay, main goal: replicate some AI magic. Obviously, started with the crossover. His signature move. I remember watching him snap ankles back then. So, I started dribbling, trying to stay low. Man, staying that low is work! My knees felt it almost immediately. Then I tried the actual crossover. Whoosh. Ball went flying one way, I kinda stumbled the other. Tried again. A bit better, but slow. Nowhere near that lightning speed he had. Felt pretty awkward, honestly.
- Attempt 1: Lost the ball completely.
- Attempt 2: Kept the ball, but crossover was wide and easy to read.
- Attempt 3: Tried to go faster, tripped over my own feet. Nice.
Next, I worked on that quick pull-up jumper he used to do after the cross. Dribble hard, stop sharp, shoot. Sounds easy, right? Nope. Most of my shots were way off. Either I rushed the shot trying to be quick, or I focused on the shot and my dribble was sloppy getting into it. It’s crazy how he made that look so smooth.
Just Playing with Energy
Forget the fancy stuff for a minute. I just tried to run around like he did. Hard drives to the hoop (just me against air, but still), quick cuts, trying to play with that relentless energy. Let me tell you, I was breathing heavy after like, five minutes of trying to play like that. How he did that for entire games, taking hits, getting knocked down, and getting back up… unreal stamina.
End Result?
So, after about maybe 30 minutes, I was pretty much done. Sweaty, tired, and definitely not looking like Allen Iverson circa 2002. It was a reality check for sure. You see these guys on TV and think, “I could maybe do that.” Nah. The level of skill, conditioning, and just pure toughness is insane.
Was fun though, in a humbling way. Gave me a new appreciation for what I was watching all those years ago. It’s one thing to see it, another thing entirely to even attempt a tiny piece of it. My crossover still needs serious work, haha. Maybe I’ll just stick to watching the highlights next time. Way less exhausting.
