Suspended for two games due to his recent off-court actions, Philadelphia 76ers rookie Jahlil Okafor has now developed a bit off a bad reputation. At 19, Okafor is still a teenager so these could be just youthful mistakes by the Sixers rookie. At least that's what his fomer college coach, Duke's Mike Krzyzewski thinks.
From ESPN's Dana O'Neil:
Krzyzewski, who coached Okafor for one season, said people should not judge Okafor based solely on his most recent actions.
"Jah is one of the greatest kids ever. Ever, ever, ever, ever," Krzyzewski said following Duke's game against Indiana. "He did a couple of stupid things, and so knock him for it. Suspend him, but let's move on. Make him learn from it, but don't characterize him based on that. He's a special, special kid."
"He got into a situation, and he made a mistake, but they also need to have security," Krzyzewski said. "When we are with the U.S. team, everybody has security because they're targets. But he's got to be smart, and he was not."
Perhaps because of Krzyzewski talking with Okafor handlers, the Sixers have already arraigned extra security for him. Before these incidents, no one really questioned Okafor's attitude or character. However, having someone like Krzyzewsk in his corner should help Okafor move past his mistakes. Something that both Okafor and the Sixers want to happen.
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