Allen Iverson submitted another entry into the all-time rant hall of fame with a combative deposition in Detroit, where he was being sued in federal court for his alleged role in a 2009 bar fight.
A judge on Tuesday dismissed the $2.5 million lawsuit, but that was only half the news. Portions of the transcript from the deposition in August were reprinted by The Detroit News on Tuesday, and it’s must-read material.
The federal lawyer in the case, Gregory Lattimer, has a history with Iverson, as Lattimer won a $260,000 award from Iverson four years ago for a man who sued Iverson and his bodyguard. Iverson lit into Lattimer in the deposition, according to the transcript.
Among the highlights from The Detroit News:
“I die before I let you get me this time,” Iverson tells the lawyer. “I’m as clean as the Board of Health, man.” …
“Yeah, I ain’t no damn mob boss. I don’t live my life like that. I got five kids. I don’t put that on their head. That’s a fairytale that y’all living in.” …
“I know you lurking. I know you lurking, man. I know you lurking. How the hell you live with [it]? You’ve been involved with three suits against me. You know what to do. You got a plan.” …
“I know, and I’m the one that pay you, and you know it. But not this time, jack. … I die before I let you get me this time.” …
At one point, Lattimer remarks, “I hear you, but you’re on my court.”
“Man, this is my court,” Iverson responds. “This is the line and we got a ball in here. This is my court. I know I’m gonna win this one. I gonna move in front of you.” …
Asked if he is staying in the Detroit area, Iverson says he is going home to his kids, then adds: “You want to go out?”
“That would be epic,” Lattimer replies, but later says he’s a homebody.
“See, I told you, I knew you ain’t got no friends,” Iverson then says. “The only way you gonna have friends is they read to you, read you bedtime stories or something like that.”
The exchange concludes with Lattimer saying he appreciates Iverson sitting for the deposition.
“Go to hell,” Iverson says.
Nod to Deadspin for linking to The Detroit News article
