If the NBA stays in lockout mode for the entire season, I may miss the interviews more than the play and the players.

Having been in my share of NBA locker rooms and at my share of press conferences over the years, you have a good idea of what a player might say. Most use cliche lines like, “We played hard” or “We wanted to come out with great energy.”

But then there are those who throw caution to the wind and either say what pops in their head or what has been on their mind for so long that they can’t contain it anymore.

Now we’re going to get some real doozys if the lockout goes all season, but right now, check out some of the ones that have always left me either laughing, scratching my head or amazed.

Allen Iverson – “We talking about practice.”

I miss A.I.

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Sometimes you need the entire team to guard Kobe Bryant.

In the aftermath of the report of Kobe Bryant saying he’d beat LeBron James in a game of 1-on-1, I figured I’d begin my NBA greatest of the greats list naming the 10 best 1-on-1 players in NBA history.

The video you’ll see by clicking on the link above dates his comments back to May 2, 2010 in London. So this is old news, but let’s get back to the list. I’m going to go from 10 to 1.

Just so it’s known right now, these 10 guys didn’t make the final cut: James, Dwyane Wade, George Gervin, Paul Pierce, Dominique Wilkins, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.

Had to cut somewhere.

Before revealing the list, I ask that you voice your opinions on the list by leaving comments. Tell me I suck. Tell me I hit the money. Tell me I look sharp of silly in my blog photo. Let’s get some chatter chatter going here.

Here we go.

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There's a good chance this guy, five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant, will make his share of lists, but is he one of the 10 best to ever play this game? What do you think?

Starting next month, I’m going to put out a variety of lists to spark debate on who are the greatest players to do work in the NBA. I’ll keep it going right up until the NBA season opener late next month.

For starters, got to rate the top 10 players of all time, but I’m going to take it a step further, folks.

I want to discuss the top 10 players under six feet tall and 7-foot or taller.

The greatest little man ever is Allen Iverson, or is it Nate “Tiny” Archibald? As for the big fellas, Wilt Chamberlain gets the old school nod, but give me Hakeem Olajuwon with his “Dream Shake.”

How about the top 10 teams to never win an NBA title? The 1987-88 Atlanta Hawks, with Dominique Wilkins in his prime, lost to the Boston Celtics in seven games in the Eastern Conference semifinals, but I’d put them up against any team today and they’d have their way with most teams.

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He's not an All-Star anymore, but Allen Iverson is still one of the game's most popular players.

19 games. 1.4 ppg and  4.4 assists per game.

Those don’t look like All-Star type numbers, but that’s what Allen Iverson has delivered this season.

Isn’t startling, but the fans love him. So much so that they voted Iverson a starter for the upcoming All-Star game next month in Dallas.

I go back and forth on this.

Iverson is a future Hall of Famer, but he’s on the down end of his career and seemingly quit on Memphis before rejoining the 76ers this season.

However, he isn’t playing too bad for Philly and other than Rajon Rondo of Boston, what other guard in the East is worthy of being a starter in the All-Star game?

I’m waiting.

I still don’t know what to make of this.

Allen Iverson is back in Philadelphia after saying he was retiring when leaving the Memphis Grizzlies. Truth is, Iverson didn’t want to be there so he bounced on the Grizzlies.

However, for all those Allen Iverson haters who say the guy is too selfish and only cares about himself, I for one have always marveled at how he played the game. In his prime, Iverson couldn’t be guarded.

Just ask MJ.

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