Philadelphia, PA – The Magee Sixers Spokesmen wheelchair basketball squad is currently ranked seventh in the nation among teams in the National Wheelchair Basketball Association Division II.  This is the first time the local team has cracked the top-10. 

Sponsored by Magee Rehabilitation Hospital and the Philadelphia 76ers, the Spokesmen have battled some of the best competition across the country this season and will play a halftime exhibition contest during the 76ers’ home game against the Phoenix Suns January 31 at the Wachovia Center.  The team will also compete in the Bluegrass Invitational, one of the top national tournaments, February 3-5, in Louisville, KY.

The Magee Sixers Spokesmen were initially founded as the Philadelphia Spokesmen by Dan Sullivan and Alice Nagel in 1978.  Over the past 28 years, they have been Mid-Atlantic Conference Champions nine times.  During this time, the team has introduced hundreds of wheelchair users to the sport of wheelchair basketball.  The Spokesmen continue to emphasize their goal of introducing new athletes to the sport sponsoring both elite and developmental teams.

The 2005-06 season is the ninth year in a partnership between Magee and the Philadelphia 76ers.  The squad is one of 19 teams in the country that are associated with NBA teams.  The Spokesmen are part of the Sixers family and participate in many of their community events to help promote wheelchair basketball including the Sixers Hoops Tour camp and the Sixers Shoot Out.

This season, the Spokesmen are wearing official 76ers game jerseys by Reebok.  They will be traveling throughout the country participating in tournaments in Hackensack, Baltimore, New York, Louisville, and Birmingham.