76ers stars make surprise visit
76ers’ stars Embiid, Johnson pay surprise visit to Upper Providence Elementary
ROYERSFORD» Process complete. Upper Providence Elementary School received a visit from a pair of Philadelphia 76ers players on Wednesday afternoon as part of the school’s “All-Star” theme this year.
Superstar Joel Embiid joined teammate Amir Johnson, team mascot Franklin The Dog and twomembers of 76ers’ Dance Team for an afternoon assembly in front of hundreds of dropped jaws in the school gymnasium.
The event opened with Johnson, a firstyear member of the 76ers, stopping in to each classroom where he posed for pictures and spoke with the children and their teachers. The students then flocked into the gymnasiumwhere they were soon joined by Embiid, the fun-loving, 7-foot-2 center who dubbed himself ‘The Process.’
The experience gave the students a chance to meet and listen to some of their heroes in-person. For most, watching the games on television or even fromthe stands ofWells Fargo Center simply don’t do it justice.
“They’re so much bigger in person,” said James Rush-Barton, a fourth-grader at Upper Providence. “It was basically like going to one of their games and getting a chance to interview them after the game. We were right there ... it was so fun.”
Both players were subject to a questionand-answer session during the assembly, where they each had a chance to talk about their personal lives outside of basketball as well as their devotion to the game on the court.
“Growing up, I always wanted to be president of my country of Cameroon,” Embiid said while towering over a student who had just asked what he’d be doing if he weren’t in the NBA.
“The thing about me is that I love when people are hard on me. So when I’m not doing a good job or when I was in school and I didn’t have good (grades), I had people helping me, telling me what
I should do and what I shouldn’t do,” he later added when talking about his teachers’ influence on him over the past several years on his way to national stardom. “There’s not especially one, but all the people around me, they helped me get here.”
In his first year with the team, Johnson noted that he doesn’t get quite the superstar treatment that social media phenom Embiid gets around town in Philadelphia.
“(Most people) just notice my height,” answered the 6-10 Johnson with a laugh when asked whether or not he’s often recognized around the city. “They don’t know who I play for, if I play basketball, they just say ‘Oh, that guy is very tall.’ That’s what I’m recognized for, my height.”
After his question-andanswer portion, Johnson competed in a free-throw contest against some of the members of the Upper Providence faculty. Physical education teacher Jeff West extended Johnson to a shoot-off round, but eventually came up just short against the 13-year vet.
“Ya know, I had to let him win,” said West with a bright smile after the assembly, “he’s a professional. I don’t want to embarrass him here at our school district.
“Talk about great guys,” he added of Johnson and Embiid. “They were both so down to Earth and so good with the kids. I think just about every kids’ eyes were bulging out of their heads.”
As much as the day meant to the Upper Providence community, it has that same impact on the professionals.
“Anything for the kids, man,” the Los Angeles native Johnson said after- ward. “Just knowing myself growing up as a youngster and meeting my favorite superstar, my favorite players, it’s a pleasure to be able to do it. It’s awesome, a great thing to be a part of.”
The events of the day were set in motion by Robin Conn, mother of fourth-grader Devon Conn. Utilizing a connection the family has with 76ers’ part owner Michael G. Rubin, Conn felt like it was something she owed to the community.
“This is Devon’s last year here at Upper Providence, and we felt like this would be a great thing for the school,” she said. “The school has been so good to us.”