Philadelphia (January 2002)—The Magee Sixers Spokesmen will vie for the crown in a City Department of Recreation-sponsored wheelchair basketball tournament which will be held February 1, 2, and 3, 2002, at Carousel House and Memorial Hall, Belmont Avenue and North Concourse Drive, Philadelphia.

The tournament competition represents a wide region, with teams coming from Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Maryland, Virginia, Texas, and Washington, DC. Divided into three divisions, the teams will ultimately play a series of semi-final games beginning at 9 a.m. on Sunday morning, February 3, with the championship game scheduled for 2 p.m. The games are free of charge and open to the public.

    Division match-ups for the Magee Sixers Spokesmen are as follows:

    Friday, February 1, 5:30 p.m.    -- Carousel House  – Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Nets

    Saturday, February 2, 9:00 a.m. -- Memorial Hall   – Johnstown Flood City Rollers

    Saturday, February 2, 1:30 p.m. -- Carousel House – National Rehab Hospital Ambassadors

The Philadelphia 76ers are among the 18 National Basketball Association teams that have partnered with wheelchair teams in their areas. Support from the 76ers has included warm-up suits and uniform jerseys, and has helped the Magee Sixers Spokesmen grow into two separate squads. 

Magee is the area’s leading provider of wheelchair sports programs. In this form of recreational therapy, participants compete with their physical equals and at the same time improve overall health and fitness.

Wheelchair basketball demands speed, strength, stamina and key skills, and continues to grow in popularity for wheelchair users, fans and spectators.