Iverson told lawyer to 'go to hell' in deposition

First, the news: A federal judge in Detroit dismissed a $2.5 million case against Allen Iverson Tuesday. What happened? There was an alleged bar fight involving Iverson in Detroit nearly two years ago. 

But that's not the interesting part. The interesting part is the deposition transcript. The lawyer opposing Iverson, Gregory Lattimer, actually had won a $260,000 judgment against The Answer a couple years ago already. The lawyer had also reached an undisclosed settlement with Iverson in another unrelated case even. So these two kind of know each other. Which is what made this transcript so very, very good. Via 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."

[...]

"I get sued for stuff I don't got nothing to do with. I ain't involved with. Ain't nobody never said ... I touched them," Iverson, 36, said. "I don't do nothing to nobody, buddy."

Lattimer had a quick reply.

"The head honcho ain't supposed to," he said.

Iverson: "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," Iverson said. "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."

Lattimer: "I just go to work every day."

Iverson: "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."

[...]

Lattimer asked Iverson about his prior arrests and convictions and if he's been arrested since 2008.

"No man," Iverson said. "You watch TV?"

"I do," Lattimer said.

"All right then you would know. … You would know if something happened to me."

Then, the men started using basketball metaphors to describe the legal battle

"Well, I hear you, but you're on my court …," Lattimer said.

"Man, this is my court," Iverson responded. "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."

"You wasn't moving before," Lattimer said.

Iverson: "Man, whatever."

[...]

After nearly two hours, Lattimer said he appreciated Iverson sitting for the deposition.

"Go to hell," Iverson said.

We're talkin' about the guy who was talkin' about practice so you shouldn't be surprised at how good that was. "I'm as clean as the Board of Health" doesn't really make much sense, but man, that was an awesome line. I also love that the lawyer tried to engage Iverson in the same tone A.I. takes. Calling him the "head honcho" and saying he's got him on his court. It's like a terrible episode of "Law and Order."

Iverson said he was going to win and he did. Said he'd "die" before he let the other guy win. Kind of like the same approach he took to basketball. And wouldn't you know it, A.I. won. 

http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/22748484/33330088

Interesting! Of course when I first read the headline I was like "oh lawd, smh LOL" but I digress now. Ha!