Sixers News and Features

2008 Summer Hoops Tour tips off

Another summer of fun and basketball tipped off today when the 76ers Summer Hoops Tour made its first stop today at the Athletic Fields in North Philadelphia. Former Sixers All-Star World B. Free is once again the host of the annual Hoops Tour.

“This summer is going to be special, every summer is always great because you meet different kids and different people,” said Free. “Something new happens every year that makes us cherish each stop on the tour.”

The kids were definitely given something to cherish today when Sixers players Jason Smith and Herbert Hill showed up to help them sharpen their basketball skills. After dividing the kids up into groups, Smith and Hill taught the kids various basketball fundamentals by participating in passing, dribbling, shooting, and defensive drills. Along with the players, Free made sure that the children knew that the main focus of the day was to have fun.

“The whole idea of the Summer Hoops Tour is to make sure that the kids are having fun,” Free said.

After the drills and learning was over each Hoops Tour participant received special Sixers giveaway items. In addition to improved basketball skills and gifts, the children also were left with a message from World B. Free touting the importance of education and working hard in life.

“I try to teach the fundamentals of basketball and I also try to teach them the fundamentals of life,” said Free. “If you are going to get good at something you have to work hard and that carries over to anything you do in life, not just on the basketball court.”

Since debuting with 14 stops in 1996, the Hoops Tour has grown considerably to include over 30 stops this year, and has reached out to over 10,000 children since its existence. Entering its 13th season, the Hoops Tour plans to visit locations encompassing the entire Philadelphia region all the way to the New Jersey Shore this year.

At the end of today’s tour stop, James Carter, a parent and mentor to some of the kids participating today, praised the Summer Hoops Tour.

“I hope that they keep doing this year after year. The Sixers just helped build these courts and it was great to see World (Free), Jason (Smith), and Herbert (Hill) out there on those very courts helping the kids today.”

The 2008 76ers Summer Hoops Tour will roll on tomorrow at the Lewis Katze Camden Boys and Girls Club in Camden, New Jersey for their second stop of the summer.