In one of the feel good stories during the NBA Lockout, the Philadelphia 76ers are in the news for something other than bloated contracts(Elton Brand), disappointing rookies(Evan Turner), or star players that are continually on the trading block(Iguodala). The Sixers public relations staff is amongst the best in the business and they proved just that this past week by coming to the aid of an autistic boy from the Philly suburbs who had his basketball hoop stolen by thieves.
Earlier in the week, eleven year old Ojay Harris was devastated when he discovered his only outlet for enjoyment, shooting hoops on his favorite backyard basketball hoop, was taken away from him, stolen during the night, probably sold for pennies on the dollar for scrap metal.
In an interview with CBS Philly, Ojay’s father admitted his son was brought to tears upon first learning his prized possession was missing and even pleaded for the thieves to return the hoop, with no questions asked. Anyone who has a family member with autism knows that for Ojay, the incident meant much more than a replaceable recreational item, but had the potential to be a gut wrenching loss, with devastating emotional effects.
The news story touched hearts all across the Philadelphia region with tons of local families pledging to help replace the stolen hoop. But it was the Philadelphia 76ers who were the first to step into action by making a phone call to Ojay’s father and making a subsequent surprise visit to the Harris residence.
Headed by former Sixer standout World B. Free, the team surprised Ojay with a brand new official 76ers hoop and giant banner, prominently hung on the side of the Ojay household, along with tons of Sixers gear, new shoes, and and impromptu game of one-on-one with Sixers mascot Hip-Hop.
While the new hoop and gear are a nice touch to help out a young boy who’s life was turned upside down this past week, the Sixers should be commended for helping make little Ojay feel like an official member of the Sixers family, even if it is for one day.
Check out Ojay Harris’ story from CBS Philly:
Allen Moll has been a lifelong NBA and NCAA College Basketball fan who watches and studies games religiously, and coaches youth basketball in his native Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania. Allen also provides content to Bleacherreport.com, Upperdeckblog.com, in addition to being a tenured NBA and NCAA columnist for TheHoopDoctors.com.
