Brother Of 76ers Prexy Fired After Videotaped Stealing From Iverson

Jet, April 23, 2001

John Croce, brother of Philadelphia 76ers President Pat Croce, was dismissed as conditioning coach of the team in January after General Manager Billy King showed Pat a videotape of his brother stealing money from basketball star Allen Iverson's pants in the locker room.

"There is no controversy," Pat Croce said at a recent news conference in Philadelphia discussing the dismissal. "There was an issue, a painful issue, and it was put to an end immediately."

King had authorized videotaping in the locker room at practice and at home and away games after players complained of missing money. Pat Croce, who is also part owner of the team, said the team used surveillance cameras as early as a year ago but would not discuss the matter further.

Neither the 76ers nor Iverson pressed criminal charges against John Croce. The 76ers originally announced John Croce had resigned in January to pursue other work.

Pat Croce said he first heard of the matter when King showed him the videotape, taken at a road game between mid-December and early January.

"I looked at Billy, I looked back at the tape and I looked at Billy and he was hurt," Croce said. "I felt sick, physically sick. Then I felt angry. I couldn't believe what I was seeing."

Croce said he told King to confront his brother, investigate the matter and resolve it quickly.

"I met with John that night," Pat Croce said. "I talked to my brother as a brother and an employer. I was so angry, but at the same time I was concerned. There's something seriously wrong here if you are going to do some thing for a couple of bucks. It didn't make sense. I thought, `He needs help.'"

Pat Croce said he called his brother back the next day, offered a medical suggestion and has not spoken to him since.

Pat went to Washington on January 12th to personally apologize to Iverson. He recalled, "I got him as he was walking off the court, and I came in (the locker room) and he said, `That's nothing, it was nothing, it's only family.'"

Pat Croce said Iverson was the only player he knew to have lost money but did not know how much was taken.