76ers have suspended Jahlil Okafor for two games

After his recent street fights in Boston and poor off-court behavior, the Philadelphia 76ers have suspended Jahlil Okafor for two games.

While Adrian Wojnarowski’s tweet may not detail the exact reason for the Philadelphia 76ers suspending rookie Jahlil Okafor for two games, it doesn’t take a genius to work out why. After his recent off-court behavior, from speeding at 108 mph in a 40 mph zone to two street fights one night in Boston, the way he’s composed himself recently has been terrible.

Whether or not he’s a rookie at this point doesn’t matter. As a professional athlete, you need to act in a professional manner both on and off the court. The simple matter of not punching guys in the face while you’re on a night out and not driving at almost three times the speed limit should be obvious. When you’re a 6-foot-11 NBA star who stands out more than almost anyone else, it should be even more obvious.

Yet, as recent footage surfaced earlier today showing Okafor’s involvement in a second fight in Boston where he initiated a confrontation by throwing a punch at a man’s face, it’s clear that he hasn’t been behaving in anywhere near the manner that the 76ers would expect from their high profile, third-overall pick.

Again, Woj may not have revealed the reason for the two-game suspension, but it’s clear that the 76ers want to let Okafor know that they won’t tolerate this, regardless of the fact that he’s not quite 20 years old yet. There’s plenty of time for him to develop a better mindset to knowing how to be a professional NBA player both on and off the court, as after all, he’s only just entered the league. That being said, there’s no excuse for having no common sense to act this way. Even more so when everything is caught on someone’s camera phone these days, and footage of your mistakes is going to be released and it’s going to be found all over the internet.

Maybe this suspension from the 76ers will be an early wakeup call for Okafor, as he needs to get his focus on basketball and correct conduct settled as early as possible if he doesn’t want to cause inappropriate distractions and grief to his already struggling team.