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Alan Horwitz

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Alan "Sixth Man" Horwitz
Born (1944-01-16) January 16, 1944 (age 80)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
TitleFounder and Chairman of Campus Apartments

Alan Horwitz is an American businessman and the Founder and Chairman of Campus Apartments, a student housing company headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[1] Horwitz is also a superfan of the Philadelphia 76ers and is known for sitting courtside at every 76ers home game wearing his #76 SIXTH MAN Jersey.[2]

Bloomberg News has described Horwitz as "one of Philadelphia's top real estate success stories."

Early life

Horwitz was born to a Jewish family and grew up "very poor." However, he was able to move to a wealthy neighborhood at the age of 5 after his father bought and built up an old property.[3] Horwitz attended Overbrook High School.

Business career

Horwitz founded Campus Apartments in 1958 after seeing a lack of affordable housing on the University of Pennsylvania's campus. Horwitz purchased properties around Penn's campus and built quality and affordable housing for students and later university faculty and young people in the workforce.[4] Horwitz was able to capture the student housing market as he took advantage of the lack of competition in the business and because of the undeveloped area surrounding the campus.[5]

Horwitz was a mentor to the current CEO of Campus Apartments, David Adelman. Adelman invested $2,000 in his Bar Mitzvah money with Horwitz and Campus Apartments. Horwitz invested those $2,000 in off-campus student housing near Penn.[6]

76ers Fandom

Horwitz is one of the most recognized NBA Superfans and has been nicknamed the "Sixth Man" of the Philadelphia 76ers and the “Sixers Jack Nicholson.” Horwitz has attended 76er's games since the 1960s when the team played at the Philadelphia Convention Hall and Civic Center and has been a season ticket holder for over 60 years.[7] Horwitz notably kneels courtside during the games and has trademark handshakes with many current and former Sixers including Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Jimmy Butler, Justin Anderson, Lou Williams and Elton Brand. Horwitz also has a close relationship with T. J. McConnell who always knocked Horwitz's hat off his head even when he was going into the game.[8] Horwitz also socializes with many of the players and will take them out to dinner and to Philadelphia Phillies and Philadelphia Eagles games.

Horwitz is still friends with many former Sixers players including Andre Iguodala and Evan Turner. Horwitz is also close with Joel Embiid's family including Embiid's father and sister. Horwitz was invited by Embiid to attend the 2018 NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles, California with Embiid's father and sister. Horwitz sometimes travels on the team's airplane to away games. [9]

Horwitz has been in multiple altercations throughout his time sitting courtside. In 2012, the 76ers played the Lakers at the Wells Fargo Center. After a loose ball went out of bonds, Horwitz stared down Kobe Bryant and yelled "Get down the other end of the court, fellah. The ball's going this way, not that way." [10][11] During the 2012 NBA playoffs, Horwitz was ejected from TD Garden during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Sixers and the Boston Celtics after making contact with Rajon Rondo. Horwitz sat in the press box with then Sixer's CEO, Adam Aron for the remainder of the game.

In the 2019 NBA Playoffs, Horwitz went viral during the Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Sixers and the Toronto Raptors during the 2019 NBA playoffs. Horwitz attended both Game 1 and 2 of the series in Toronto, Canada and would stand up and shake a 76ers banner after every point scored by the team.[12][13] In Game 2, Horwitz got into a shouting match with Canadian rapper and Raptors fan, Drake. During Game 4 of the same series, Horwitz taunted and then got into a shouting match with Kyle Lowry after a foul was called. Lowry then asked official Josh Tiven to constrain Horwitz. Horwitz was described as "vociferous" by Mark Jones who was announcing the game.[14][15]

On May 1, 2019 Horwitz launched an Instagram account. He currently has more than 45,000 followers, including many current and former Sixers players.[16]

On February 7, 2020 before a home game against the Memphis Grizzlies, Horwitz appeared on court and rang the bell- a Sixers' tradition of ringing a ceremonial bell before the game. Other notable people to have rung the bell include Carson Wentz, Bryce Harper, Meek Mill, M. Night Shyamalan, Kevin Hart and Charlie Manuel.[17]

Horwitz has been promised by Sixer's owner, Josh Harris a championship ring and an opportunity to participate in the postgame celebration in the locker room when the Sixers win the NBA Finals.[18]

Personal life

In 2018, Horwitz donated $2 million to help build the Horwitz-Wasserman Holocaust Memorial Plaza on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust. The plaza is named after Horwitz and Sam Wasserman, a Holocaust survivor from Poland who later moved to America.[19] The plaza is stone-paved and is surrounded by the rail tracks that were outside of Treblinka concentration camp. The plaza also has a grove of trees to represent the woods where the Bielski partisans hid and a digital eternal flame.[20]

On January 21, 2020, it was announced that Horwitz was elected to the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. A ceremony will be held on April 28, 2021 at Rodeph Shalom where Horwitz will be inducted and given the first inaugural Philadelphia Sports Spirit Award.[21][22]

Horwitz is also involved in other local Philadelphia charities including the Sixers Youth Foundation, Simon's Heart and Philadelphia Youth Basketball.

References

  1. ^ "Alan Horwitz". Bloomberg.
  2. ^ "76ers Sixth Man on Instagram: "Thinking about going with the Blue uniform tonight. What do you think?!? I'm feeling it. BTW - 76% of teams that win game 3 in the second…"".
  3. ^ John Ailor. "Alan Horwitz Interview". Vimeo.
  4. ^ "About Campus Apartments". Campus Apartments.
  5. ^ Admin. "Business: Big Man at Campus". Philadelphia Magazine.
  6. ^ David Adelman. "The Bar Mitzvah Investment". The New York Times.
  7. ^ DAN GERINGER. "Alan Horwitz: The lone wolf of over-the-top Sixers fans". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
  8. ^ "76ers Sixth Man on Instagram: "Yo @boban - Wishing you the best of luck in Dallas!! Just make sure you don't forget to write me. I'll keep my eye on @tobiasharris for…"".
  9. ^ Steve Lipman. "Exclusive Interview with '76ers Sixth Man' Alan Horwitz". SB Nation.
  10. ^ "Fan Vs. Kobe: A Look Back". Philadelphia 76ers.
  11. ^ Rob Tornoe. "Sixers fan who went viral for sign will be courtside again Thursday against the Raptors". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
  12. ^ Andy Nesbitt. "A Sixers fan sitting courtside drove viewers nuts by holding up a banner after each basket". USA Today.
  13. ^ Sherina Harris. "Love him or hate him, Sixers' 'Sixth Man' superfan is hard to miss". Toronto Star.
  14. ^ Tzvi Machlin. "Video: Kyle Lowry Gets Into It With Sixers Fan Sitting Courtside". The Spun.
  15. ^ Jesse Bernstein. "Philanthropist Alan Horwitz Doubles as Sixers Super Fan". The Jewish Exponent.
  16. ^ https://www.instagram.com/76ersixthman/ @76ersixthman
  17. ^ https://www.instagram.com/p/B8SmJK7JYTN/ "
  18. ^ "The Sixers' 'Sixth Man' returns from the North". NBC Sports Philadelphia.
  19. ^ Selah Maya Zighelboim. "Plaza's Name Recognizes Holocaust Survivor". Jewish Exponent.
  20. ^ Jacob Adelman. "As solemn memorial to Holocaust opens on Parkway, a family and business bond is cemented". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
  21. ^ "23rd Annual Induction Ceremony". Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.
  22. ^ "76ers Sixth Man on Instagram: "ALAN "SIXTH MAN" HORWITZ ELECTED TO PHILLY JEWISH SPORTS HALL OF FAME CLASS 2020. ✡️✡️ Yesterday, while driving to see our Sixers take on…"".
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