Section 215
Fansided

Philadelphia Sports: Section 215 top 25 Philadelphia athletes revealed

By Chuck Booth

Jan 11, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard T.J. McConnell (1) celebrates with center Joel Embiid (21) after his game winning shot against the New York Knicks at Wells Fargo Center. The Philadelphia 76ers won 98-97. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 11, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard T.J. McConnell (1) celebrates with center Joel Embiid (21) after his game winning shot against the New York Knicks at Wells Fargo Center. The Philadelphia 76ers won 98-97. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
15 of 26
Next

Number 12: Robert Covington – Forward, Philadelphia 76ers

Ah, Robert Covington. The most underappreciated man in Philadelphia sports finally gets his due. Covington was once set to have a career of a journeyman before Sam Hinkie and the Sixers discovered him. In his first year immersed into the Philadelphia sports world, Cov led the Sixers in scoring for the 2014-15 season. He had himself a down year to follow up, but regained his shooting stroke and raised his defensive prowess this season.

Covington is the type of defender the team can put on the opponents best player. He’s not Kawhi Leonard. He’s not Draymond Green. But he is Robert Covington. He gives trouble to almost any wing player in the league, and can provide spacing on the outside. He’s become a must-have player as the roster grows, which would have seemed laughable two seasons ago.

Covington is the third Sixer named on this list. Being named the 12th best athlete in Philadelphia sports seems just right. He isn’t above Joel Embiid or Dario Saric, but he’s one of the more important players the team has. He will always be remembered as the “gem” of Sam Hinkie’s Process. A player destined for the D-League, but instead took a great opportunity and ran with it. He embodies Philly in a way. He’s by no means the most talented player, but the effort he displays on both sides of the ball is the exact blue collar work the city embraces. I’m glad Covington’s efforts are being noticed, and he can continue to prove his NBA value with a team set for an upswing.