Philadelphia’s Favorite: TJ McConnell or Mike Scott?
Philadelphia is a special place with a unique brand of sports fans. And one of the coolest parts of Philadelphia fandom is the devotion to not only our star players but to our role players who embody what this city stands for.
Toughness, hard work and grit are in Philadelphia’s DNA. And over the past several seasons, few players have exhibited these traits more than TJ McConnell and Mike Scott. While Scott’s Sixers career is just beginning and TJ’s is temporarily over, these two share unique characteristics worthy of comparison.
Who does Philadelphia truly love more? That is for Sixers fans to decide. But here are some things to keep in mind when comparing these two fan favorites.
TJ McConnell
TJ grew up just down the road in Pittsburgh, PA and from day 1, he was underestimated. Standing at barely 6’2”, he was only a three-star prospect according to 247 Sports and ended up spending his first two collegiate seasons at Duquesne University.
But after two standout seasons averaging 11 points and 5 assists, TJ transferred to Pac 12 powerhouse, University of Arizona. He was a key player on great teams at Arizona but didn’t do quite enough to earn draft consideration.
He went undrafted, and largely unrecognized until the Sixers brought him onto their 2015 summer league roster. Finally, after a strong showing in summer league and preseason, TJ earned himself an NBA roster spot for opening day in the fall of 2015.
Over the next 4 seasons, he would proceed to start 72 games in the red, white, and blue while helping to turn the process era into the playoff era. And as the second to last process era Sixer (Joel Embiid), he will be sorely missed this season.
TJ had several amazing highlights as a Sixer, including a game-winner over the Knicks in January of 2017.
Followed closely by a game-winner against the Magic just one month later.
And finally, an amazing 2 game stretch in a tough playoff series against the Celtics just last year.
Throughout it all, TJ did it with class and grit. Whether he was jumping in the air celebrating a buzzer-beater, or sitting on the end of the bench as the best cheerleader in the entire stadium, TJ did everything with heart and to the fullest.
Mike Scott
Although his tenure with the Sixers has only just begun, Mike Scott has become a true fan favorite. His goofy twitter presence mixed with his hard work on the court has resonated with Sixers fans everywhere.
Scott was an All ACC player at the University of Virginia but was only drafted in the second round in 2012 by the Atlanta Hawks. He worked his way up through the Hawks G League affiliate and eventually become a key bench player on a 60 win Hawks team in 2015.
Since his days with the Hawks, he has bounced around from Washington to Los Angeles and he arrived in Philadelphia via the Tobias Harris trade.
In 27 games for the Sixers this season, he showed grit and three-point prowess. He hit numerous big shots throughout the regular season and one huge shot to help the Sixers advance in the Playoffs.
Upon the end of the season, Scott delivered an extremely memorable exit interview and on June 30th, he became one of the first players to sign with the Sixers during the free agency period.
Scott is down to earth and loves the fans. His personal fan club, the Mike Scott Hive, has become a Twitter sensation as fans across the tri-state area have begun wearing his signature headbands and copying his various tattoos. During this offseason, he has held a meet and greet session at the Mitchell and Ness store, crashed a wedding in downtown Philadelphia, and even raced a fan on a track in South Philly.
Scott has two more years to bond with the fans and hopefully contribute to a championship season, but there is no doubt he is already loved in this city.
So Sixers fans, who is more appreciated here in Philadelphia?. Both players have become household names and each has embraced what this city is all about. One has moved on and another still has a story to write.
But for now, is it TJ “White Iverson” McConnell? Or the “Threegional Manager” himself, Mike Scott?
Featured Image: NBC Sports
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Categorized:Sixers