Report: Sixers' Nerlens Noel doing Rocky Balboa run in Philadelphia
Philadelphia 76ers big man Nerlens Noel is running through the streets of Philadelphia like Rocky Balboa on Friday, per the Philadelphia Inquirer's Mike Sielski:
A camera crew will track Noel as he works out at 11 a.m., goes through a shootaround session at noon, and grabs lunch. Starting between 1 and 1:30, Noel will run at the various spots around the city that Stallone used in his movies’ iconic training sequences, including the Italian Market, Independence Hall, and Kelly Drive. Noel’s “run” will culminate around 3 p.m. at the Art Museum, where 100 to 150 middle-school and high school students will join him as he sprints up the steps. Then everyone will have Papa John’s pizza, since Papa John’s is one of the event’s sponsors.
Noel’s plan, according to a person close to him, is to use Friday’s event as a springboard for an annual “Nerlens Noel Rocky Run 5K” to raise money for charity. Plus, the run should help Noel get in shape for his first NBA season, so he can eat lightning and crap thunder on any and all of the Sixers’ opponents.
Props to Sielski for getting that "eat lightning and crap thunder" line into the story. Also, everything about this is awesome. From the charity aspect to the post-run pizza, Noel is doing this perfectly.
Can Noel endear himself to Philadelphia any more than this? He's already spoken about how much he loved Allen Iverson growing up, how passionate the city's fans are and how badly he wants to turn the team into a winner. He's even purchased a Moses Malone jersey. Noel is clearly all-in on Philly, so spending his afternoon imitating Rocky makes a lot of sense.
Related Links
