Page 25 - Florida Sentinel 4-12-19

Sports
Lindsey Harding Named Assistant Coach Of Philadelphia 76ers
Winston Says The
LINDSEY HARDING
Lindsey Harding, the daughter of Tampa native Lil- lian Andrews and Michael Harding of Houston, Texas, and the granddaughter of the late Dr. and Mrs. W. W. ‘Billy’ Andrews, has reached another milestone.
Lindsey, who was re- cently inducted into the Duke University Hall of Fame, has become a historic addition to the Philadelphia 76ers coach- ing staff—- she is their first fe- male assistant coach.
According to a report by Philly.com’s Marcus Hayes, the Sixers have pro- moted Lindsey from pro scout to player development coach on Monday. The Sixers originally hired her just to scout, but she quickly rose up the ladder and general man- ager Elton Brand has his eye on her.
Lindsey with 76ers players.
On Tuesday standing at the podium, star quarterback Jameis Winston did just that when reporters asked him about the potential of tight end O.J. Howard (4.4- 40) who will be entering his third sea- son.
“The sky’s the limit really, not even the sky – probably the moon,” Winston said smiling. “Why limit him there? This guy, he’s incredible. He and Cam (Brate) really compli- ment each other well. I think O.J. can learn a lot of things from Cam, I believe having both of those guys is going to make our offense go to the top.
“You can’t really stop O.J. from doing anything. He’s going to blow you off the ball with blocking, he’ll run past you and stiff arm you. I know
JAMEIS WINSTON AND O. J. HOWARD
he’s going to have a great sea- son and Lord willing, he’s going to stay healthy and make it to the Pro Bowl like he was before he got injured.
Howard was poised for a potential Pro Bowl berth last year until what appeared to be a simple tackle against the Gi- ants in late November ended up costing him the final six games with a high ankle sprain.
Lindsey was in Tampa this week to attend several functions in her 76ers scout capacity and to visit her fam- ily. She shared the exciting news with them during her visit.
According to 76ers.com, “After we interviewed her this summer, everyone I spoke to about her said how driven she was and that her knowledge of the game was impeccable,” said Sixers general manager Elton Brand. He expects Harding to head her own team sooner than later: “Whether that’s the NBA, or a collegiate program — I don’t think she’ll be at the player- development level for very long.”
Harding becomes the seventh female assistant coach in the NBA and she’s the first in Sixers history. She
came to Philadelphia for the opportunity and she has taken full advantage of it.
“I wanted to get my foot in the door,” Harding said last month. She craved a taste of everything: “On-court coach- ing opportunities. Other front-office opportunities. Other scouting opportuni- ties.”
No other team offered the entire buffet.
“The feeling here, the vibe, the support, growth — the be- lief in me,” Harding said. “Knowing that I know the game.”
As it turns out, Harding has a few things in common with Brand. Like Brand, Lindsey attended Duke Uni- versity, and like him, was se- lected with the first overall pick in her draft class. Lind- sey was selected by the Phoenix Mercury with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2007 WNBA Draft, while Brand was selected first overall by the Chicago Bulls in the 1999 NBA Draft.
She played nine seasons in the WNBA and finished with career averages of 9.8 points and four assists.
If this start is any indica- tion, Harding looks like she has a bright future with the Sixers organization, and as a trail blazer, may help give op- portunities to women else- where.
Patrick Mahomes Gives Love To Texas Tech After Loss
'Moon' Is The Limit
For Bucs TE Howard
Patrick Mahomes re- mained supportive of his alma mater even in defeat.
Mahomes, who played quarterback at Texas Tech from 2014-2016, attended both of the Red Raiders’ Final Four games in Minneapolis. He was cheering on his team from the stands all the way to the end.
After Texas Tech’s bid for a championship came up short in overtime, Mahomes sent
PATRICK MAHOMES
the a tweet of support for his team.
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