Jahlil Okafor’s run-ins with both fans outside clubs — some apparently with guns — as well as law enforcement have become a daily headline. Literally. Today there is a new headline about a second fight in Boston. He has apologized, but taking no chances the Sixers have already assigned a security guard to shadow Okafor when he is out.
In the run-up to the draft, there were no questions about Okafor’s character, maturity, or the situations he put himself in, but there are a lot now. Which led some to wonder, is it the losing?
Sixers coach Brett Brown told Dan Patrick we’d be naive to think that it’s not part of the equation.
It certainly is not all of it, and Okafor must take responsibility (especially if there are charges, which are rumored to be coming out of Boston). But the losing, and what kind of system the Sixers have in place to guide their young stars (on and off the court), have to be questioned as well. There are likely a lot of factors here. Including that Okafor is 19 and 19-year-olds often don’t make wise decisions.
Sixers fans, if you are living in the Philadelphia area and subscribe to Comcast Sportsnet, you can stream tonight’s game when the Sixers take on the New York Knicks in Manhattan, just follow this link.