Title
Recognizing and Thanking Philadelphia Native and Former 76er Aaron McKie for His Generous Donation to Build a North Philadelphia Community Center with Philadelphia Youth Basketball.
Body
WHEREAS, Aaron McKie was raised in Philadelphia, spending his childhood in a home near 21st Street and Chew Avenue. His house was in close proximity to the Belfield Recreation Center. McKie says he "Practically lived there when I wasn't at home or school," and it kept him out of the trouble that many of his peers encountered in his neighborhood; and
WHERAS, McKie found a mentor in Bill Ellerbe at Belfield Recreation Center, and he went on to play for Ellerbe at Philadelphia's Simon Gratz High School. In his senior year, McKie was selected to All-Scholastic and All-Southern Pennsylvania teams. He led his team to a 26-4 record, and Simon Gratz won the Public League championship. McKie graduated in 1990; and
WHEREAS, McKie continued his basketball career in Philadelphia, suiting up for Temple University under legendary coach John Chaney. He was named the 1993 Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Year, and McKie is currently the sixth-leading scorer in Temple history. McKie graduated from Temple, making him the first person in his family to receive a college degree; and
WHEREAS, McKie was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the 1994 NBA Draft. He enjoyed a 13-season career in the NBA from 1994 to 2007, and Philadelphia welcomed him back for 8 seasons as a 76er. In 2001 the 76ers won the Eastern Conference, and McKie won the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year Award; and
WHERAS, As a teammate, McKie played a similar role in the locker room as his mentors had in his childhood. Hall of Famer Allen Iverson, who won the NBA's Most Valuable Player Award in 2001, said of McKie, "He helped me so much in my career. I talk about the mistakes that I made in my career. I made a million of them, but if it weren't for Aaron McKie I would have made two mil...
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