Iverson denies allegation that he was drunk during infamous 'practice' rant

Allen Iverson has had his share of troubles with alcoholism, but the fallen star says he was sober during his infamous rant about practice.

The incident is more than a decade old, but the issue has been drudged up once again with the release of Washington Post reporter Kent Babb's book, Not a Game: The Incredible Rise and Unthinkable Fall of Allen Iverson.

In the book, Babb interviewed several reporters who were present during Iverson's press conference in 2002. In Babb's own words from his book:

Some were entertained, and others watched the train wreck unfold – knowing from experience that Iverson was drunk.

Babb also passes along some words from Iverson's head coach Larry Brown (via ESPN).

After his talk with Brown, Iverson left with a friend and returned later for the news conference. "I assumed he went and fooled around somewhere," Brown said, tipping his hand up like a bottle, the author wrote in the book.

To that accusation, Iverson told ESPN's Stephen A. Smith on Friday that he was "being lied on" by Babb. Smith previously covered the Philadelphia 76ers and has known Iverson for 19 years.

Smith later went on ESPN's "First Take" and flatly denied the accusation.

"Allen Iverson was not drunk the day he had that press conference about practice," Smith said.

Whether Iverson was drunk or not during the conference, the point is moot. It's a soundbite from the past that will live on in infamy, regardless of context.

The bigger takeaway is, as Babb describes it, Iverson's "unthinkable" fall from grace. Detailed in Babb's fantastic 2013 Washington Post feature on Iverson, the former Sixers star has struggled immensely since his exit from the league, grappling with a divorce, bankruptcy, and alcoholism, among other issues.