VI. Bothered by vocal Philadelphia Fans
To the surprise of noone, no NBA player enjoys being booed by their home fans. But few Philadelphia 76ers have escaped the experience. On one hand, some embrace the passion and at it to their own. On the other hand, some tune out the noise, and simply listen to their inner voice. In still others, some hear the boos that inevitably will rain down from the stands, and it alters the player’s perspective.
Pushing yourself as hard as you can can make a professional athlete vulnerable to the noise around them. Unless the player “gets” the fans as a tough love group, it can derail the player off the tracks.
Boos sting
The third year veteran Jahlil Okafor is nowhere near the enthusiastic “world is my oyster” rookie he was when he was drafted third by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2015 NBA Draft. Now he has heard the boos. Now he knows the constant vigilance fans of Philadelphia sports have on their players. No plays off. No excuses. Much like a Jedi master teaching a padawan, Philadelphia fans demand “Do, or do not. There is no try”.
That runs completely counter to the way to truly fully develop a rookie. Embrace mistakes as learning lessons. Chin up after a bad night, as now a player knows how far they have to go in training. The only player rumored to never have heard boos in his career in Philadelphia is the legendary Julius Erving, or “Dr. J”. Think of all the legendary players who called Philadelphia home, and the sheer magnitude of the fans passion is nearly immeasurable.
It’s only a matter of time until it happens. What happens next is up to Markelle Fultz.