The Philadelphia 76ers remain winless at 0-18 this season and that is not the only negative thing that has the team in the headlines, as star rookie Jahlil Okafor has had multiple off the court incidents this year. According to media reports, Okafor has been involved in a fight with a heckler, been cited for speeding over 100 mph and he also had a gun pulled on him in another altercation.
The Sixers have tied the worst start in NBA history this season and they have now lost 27 straight games dating back to last year. The team has a chance to win a game this week with the Los Angeles Lakers on the schedule, but with how bad the Sixers have been, a win is no guarantee. Rookie Jahlil Okafor has played well after being the third overall pick in the draft this year, but he has been getting headlines for all the wrong reasons over the past month.
According to ESPN.com, Okafor has been involved in a number of incidents, including a fight outside of a nightclub last week in Boston. That incident reportedly involved a heckler and TMZ published video of Okafor outside of the nightclub. Boston police released a statement last week that a man reported that he was a victim of assault and battery involving Okafor. Following that report, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that in October, Okafor was in another altercation with a heckler in Philadelphia.
The Inquirer reports that sources said that Okafor had a gun pointed at him following a "verbal exchange" at the club. Following those reports, the Inquirer also reported that Okafor was stopped by police for speeding on the Ben Franklin Bridge. According to the report, Okafor was going 108 mph in an area that has a speed limit of 40 mph.
After the incident last Thursday, Okafor said to reporters that he was "embarrassed" about the incident. Okafor said ""It was definitely dumb on my part. It's something that I am embarrassed about. [I'm] still dealing with the league and the team. But I'm not happy about it at all."
Okafor took to Twitter to apologize to his teammates and fans and wrote that: "I hold myself to a higher standard than anyone else ever could and I'm not proud of some of my decisions over the last few months."
Adding to the previous reports, a new one came out from John Gonzalez of CSN Philly about Okafor trying to use a fake ID at a bar. While this one does not reach up to the same levels as the previous incidents, it's another bad headline for the rookie and the team. The report says that Okafor "allegedly presented a fake I.D. at Misconduct Tavern in Center City."
Okafor has the chance to turn things around with his play on the court, as the rookie is averaging 17.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game while shooting over 45 percent from the field this season.