There has been a lot made about Philadelphia 76ers rookie Jahlil Okafor on the court with his incredible production, but more disappointing has been what has transpired off the court. Reckless driving, an incident that reportedly led to a gun being pulled on Okafor, and the rookie getting into a fight in a night out in Boston have marred what has been a good season individually on the court.
The Sixers have decided to suspend Okafor for two games, effective immediately, due to his recent actions. Okafor recently apologized, but the team apparently feels the need to reprimand him in the manner of removing him from the team for a couple of contests.
We have made the determination to suspend Jahlil Okafor for two games, effective immediately.
Jahlil is a very important part of our organization and our future. While we are disappointed with his recent actions, we have faith in him as a valued member of the Sixers. We will provide the necessary resources to support him on his journey and will do our part to help him succeed both on and off the court.
The important part of this whole situation, outside of Okafor's safety, is helping him avoid these incidents entirely. Whether it's surrounding him with security when he is out for a night in a city or giving him the proper counseling to teach him what is and isn't safe behavior, the Sixers are invested in Okafor not just as a player but as a person. They don't want to abandon him and give up on him; they just want to make sure he's learning from mistakes and avoiding them in the future.
The Sixers' next two games are Wednesday night in New York to take on the Knicks and Saturday night in Philadelphia when they host the Denver Nuggets. Okafor will return to the team next week when the team plays the San Antonio Spurs on Monday.
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