PHILADELPHIA — As the school year begins, the Sixers, joined by forward Jabari Walker, paid a special visit to students at Stephen Girard School in South Philadelphia.

The team hosted a pep rally Thursday promoting the importance of reading and announced more than $27,000 in donations to support literacy programs at the school and across the Philadelphia region.

Following a celebration led by Sixers in-arena host Lee Farrell and Squad 76, students heard about the importance of literacy from several guests, including representatives from Morgan & Morgan — which partnered with the Sixers for the event through the Rebounds for Books program — and School District of Philadelphia Superintendent Tony Watlington.

Walker was a surprise guest for students and spoke about his passion for reading and the importance of developing one’s mind before reading “Dog Breath: The Horrible Trouble with Hally Tosis” aloud to students.

“I’m as excited as they are,” Walker said. “For them to have that energy, it was amazing. It let me know that they were excited for me to be here, and that’s a great feeling.”

Walker’s appearance was no coincidence. The event concluded with the donation accumulated from the Rebounds for Books program, which donated $7.60 for every rebound by the Sixers last season. As an avid reader and rebounder, this made Walker the perfect guest for the event. 

“It’s a passion of mine,” Walker said of encouraging the next generation. “As I continue to learn more about myself, about [the need for] literacy, I understand the importance. I think it’s everything to give to the youth so that they can be better than I am.”

The message comes as Philadelphia continues to grapple with low reading proficiency among students. Fewer than 1 in 3 third graders were able to read proficiently last school year, according to the district’s preliminary data from the 2024 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (2025 assessment results have been delayed).

At the end of the afternoon, the Sixers announced the results of the Rebounds for Books program. After the team recorded 3,578 rebounds last season, more than $27,000 was donated Thursday to Stephen Girard School’s literacy program and BookSmiles, an organization that promotes childhood literacy by distributing books and supporting educators and communities throughout Greater Philadelphia.

“The most important muscle that there is [to] exercise is the brain,” said Hannah Molitoris, an attorney at Morgan & Morgan. “The way that we exercise that muscle is through reading and reading often, so that we can expand our mindset, expand our way of life, and present better opportunities for ourselves.

“I would not be an attorney if I was not an avid reader, and I hope that many of the students today will join us in supporting this drive for the youth to invest in literacy and invest in reading.”

Walker echoed that sentiment, emphasizing the importance of developing skills and interests that extend beyond the basketball court.

“I don’t think enough people talk about investing in your mind and what that can cause. You only play basketball for… unless you’re LeBron,” Walker said with a smile. “The average career, it’s not as long as what most people think. So I think the sooner you can start processing what you want to do afterwards, then you’re ahead of the game.”

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Keywords

Philadelphia 76ers,

Sixers,

Jabari Walker,

Philadelphia,

Education,

Philadelphia Schools,

Stephen Girard School,

BookSmiles