Comments on: Allen Iverson and the Virtue of Selfishness

By: Shep

Shep — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:47:43 +0000

You seem to like Howard Roark a lot. Please be aware that he is a fictional character, meant to represent an ideal. Also, if I smack his silly bottom, he gone cry. Allen Iverson wouldn’t, having been slapped before, in the real world.

By: Loren Robinson

Loren Robinson — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:38:10 +0000

This is a good article. Allen Iverson is a man of principle. He is honest and he always will be himself.
There is a link to a article below this sentence that describes how is a very misunderstood.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1773902/allen_iverson_rebel_without_a_cause.html?cat=14

By: SBarrett

SBarrett — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 05:18:21 +0000

It is funny to hear people say that Allen Iverson is not innovative when he re-defined how a generation of Basketball players dress and wear their hair. He also is always scape-goated and will never be appreciated until he is no longer in the league…Kobe may be another Jordan (Not Realy) but there may really never be another player like Allen Iverson…ever!

By: zev

zev — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:50:50 +0000

Although I’m a big fan of Ayn Rand’s ethics of selfishness, in a team game it is not automatically “unselfish” to coordinate, or even be a role player. Selfishness refers to your fundamental values which you choose in the context of your life and knowledge. The practical pursuit of those values could come by means that most would deem “unselfish”. Sometimes passing is selfish. Sometimes being a ball-hog is unselfish because it derails the ultimate goal. I don’t think AI is selfish in the sense I mean here.

By: Le meilleur de la semaine (41) | Basket USA - L'actualitÃ© de la NBA au quotidien

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:00:35 +0000

[...] pour finir, un superbe article sur Allen Iverson le comparant Ã Howard Roark, hÃ©ros du roman “La source vive” d’Ayn Rand. Merci [...]

By: Joe Kane

Joe Kane — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 20:23:54 +0000

While I appreciate the Ayn Rand reference, I agree with Mr. Kellard above that it’s a bit of a stretch to compare AI to Roark. I can forgive that though because of the essentially positive light in which you portray the rational selfishness needed to excel at sports or anything else.

Tiger Woods, who actually is an Ayn Rand fan is a GREAT example of selfishness in action.

By: sd98skd9

sd98skd9 — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 14:07:43 +0000

In one sense I’m excited to see this article, as it uses the philosophy of the 20th century’s greatest thinker to bring a proper ethics (rational egoism) into the realm of sports.

On the other hand, I’m disappointed because the author fails entirely. He essentially conflates selfishness and selflessness by equating Howard Roark (one of literature’s greatest hero’s) with Allen Iverson, one of the sports world’s most selfless (i.e. self destructive) players in recent history.

Read Ayn Rand’s The Virtue of Selfishness for a proper understanding of these terms.

By: Joseph Kellard

Joseph Kellard — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 10:52:04 +0000

Iverson does not deserve to be mentioned with Howard Roark, the heroic main character of Ayn Rand’s classic novel “The Fountainhead.”
First and foremost, while Iverson was a very good player, he was never innovative in his sport the way Roark is in his profession. Michael Jordan is a better comparison — but even with him, I would never compare him with an innovative, architectural genius such as Roark.
By comparing Roark with Iverson, you’ve tried to raise Iverson to a status he certainly does not deserve.

By: Omar groves

Omar groves — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 00:47:13 +0000

Good article though… a rare 1 but Good

By: Omar groves

Omar groves — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 00:44:53 +0000

Tru Words….it don’t get no realer than this. at some point men who claim to be men…need to Man up & end whatever blacklist or diabolical agenda the have…Aided & abetted by a media that thrives off negatives…Ones Man Life hangs in the Balance…At some point they should ask themselves why are his Team mates so loyal to him, His Fans are the most Loyal fans in any sport, almost rivaling fanatic euro soccer fans… do they wonder why..Its not just what he does on the court but who he is & his Struggles, I am one of those Fans…Not a Gangster…No Tattoos, only listen rap if its gospel. nut he is something thats missing in the NBA… REAL, imperfect, not the image conscious, superstars, so wat, He ditched practice every now & then, we call in sick @ work too Big Deal, Denver added 4 more players (Nene, Chauncy,Dontay Jones & Birdman) & won 4 more games..Big Deal.. The sports writes Know this circumstancial trick & shamelessly exploit it. Larry Brown has been campaigning on his behalf & in Denver he was a model citizen & a locker room favorite..No Cancer, No chemistry Killer..His Starting Point gaurd A Carter, is now a back up…Point is He Got them to 50 wins with less than Chauncey who Got them to 54 wins…See the Light People. & If i was in Philly all those years playing with those guys, I’d be “selfish” too if you wanna call it that