After being involved recently in a few embarrassing and potentially dangerous off-the-court incidents, Philadelphia 76ers star rookie Jahlil Okafor will now be accompanied by a security guard whenever he goes out, according to league sources.
The request for security came from Okafor's handlers, who asked the 76ers to make a security guard available to their first-round draft pick out of Duke. The Sixers did not return a phone call seeking comment, but two sources said the club will honor the request.
"A lot of teams do that for their players anyway,'' a source close to Okafor said. "So from now on, the Sixers are going to have someone at his disposal full-time.''Source: Jahlil Okafor of Philadelphia 76ers to be accompanied by security guard.
It's a smart move on Okafor's handlers' part, seeing how the big man is attracting unwanted attention and dealing with fans who are out of line, and smart on the Sixers to both protect their prized star and protect him from himself. Okafor was also pulled over for reckless driving last month, going a reported 108 miles an hour.
Okafor's 19, dealing with a lot of pressure, a lot of stress, a tense travel schedule, and everything that comes with being a rookie. He doesn't need to worry about what's going to happen every time he goes out.
That said, it's too bad they have to hire someone. They have lots of prospects and picks. They could have just traded for Nikola Pekovic