<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Allen Iverson didn't always get along with Larry Brown, but he's looking forward to seeing his former coach later this summer. "I can't wait to see Coach Brown with the Olympic thing so he can see my body, see how much I've been lifting,'' Iverson said Friday in his first public comments since Brown resigned as coach of the Philadelphia 76ers last month. "I want to see his face when I take my shirt off because I've been lifting more than I ever did in my career.'' Brown, now coach of the Detroit Pistons, always stressed to Iverson that he wanted him to lift weights in the offseason to be able to better endure the rigors of the season. Brown and Iverson had a contentious relationship during their six years together in Philadelphia, and some believe that's one of the primary reasons Brown stepped down after the season. But after a news conference in which Randy Ayers was promoted from assistant to head coach of the 76ers, Iverson downplayed his feuds with Brown, calling him "the best coach in the world.'' Brown will coach the 2004 U.S. Olympic men's basketball team, which includes Iverson. The two will see each other again in August when the team plays in a qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico, attempting to gain one of three berths available to the FIBA-Americas region for next year's Olympics in Athens. "It's not going to be any bitterness with me and I don't think there's going to be any with him so I can't wait for that part of the Olympics just to become better friends with him,'' Iverson said. Brown's biggest problem with Iverson concerned his practice habits. Iverson often arrived late for practices -- he also was late for Ayers' news conference -- and missed several practices for various excuses. Brown also harped on Iverson for taking too many shots and playing selfishly at times. But, he praised Iverson repeatedly last season for "playing the right way'' and said it was the star guard's best all-around season. "I just learned a lot from Coach Brown as a basketball player and helping me as a person off the court,'' Iverson said. "He has done so much for me. Everybody makes a big deal about our ongoing feuds as you all would call it. That didn't come from me. It came from him talking about it.'' Iverson said he was surprised Brown stepped down and took a job with the Pistons, but warned that the 76ers are a better team. "I thought if Coach Brown left Philadelphia it would be to retire,'' Iverson said. "But whatever makes Coach Brown happy, then I'm with that. I don't think that team will make it before this team. I wish him well. I have no bitter feelings for anything. If he's happy, then I'm happy.'' Iverson finally set the record straight regarding his lateness for Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals series against Detroit. Iverson showed up at the First Union Center 30 minutes before tipoff. He scored 38 points, but the Sixers were eliminated with an overtime loss. "I had a flat tire,'' Iverson said. </div> Well at least they are ok with each other..but AI stay off the crack...you aren't the better team..
