It has not been a good week for Philadelphia 76ers rookie Jahlil Okafor.
And, in the most affectionate way possible, Duke head honcho Mike Krzyzewski doesn’t care.
The Sixers suspended Okafor on Wednesday for two games after TMZ posted yet another video of him fighting with alleged hecklers in Boston. Here’s the statement they released, via NBA.com’s John Schuhmann:
Here's the Sixers' press release on Jahlil Okafor's 2-game suspension: pic.twitter.com/lSrmpvSbDp
— John Schuhmann (@johnschuhmann) December 2, 2015
This suspension is not a good look for the Sixers or Okafor.
Things like this can happen when you’re dealing with teenagers on a national stage, but, put simply, more is expected of professional athletes, regardless of how old they are or, in this case, aren’t. Okafor should have handled himself better, and with all the other various rumors floating around, the Sixers might need to start thinking about re-investing in the way they’re handling their top youngsters.
Coach K isn’t fretting Okafor’s recent run-in with the tabloids, though. Having already coached Okafor himself, he maintains faith in Okafor the basketball player and Okafor the person, per Raleigh News & Observer‘s Laura Keeley:
Mike Krzyzewski's full comments on Jahlil Okafor pic.twitter.com/C9gomtbTxG
— Laura Keeley (@laurakeeley) December 3, 2015
All of what Coach K rings true.
Okafor won’t come out of this ordeal looking like a knight in shining armor, but his career is still young. He himself is still young. He can move on. The Sixers can move on.
The rest of us will forget this ever happened soon enough—you know, so long as there isn’t a “next time.”
