More goodies from Hakim Warrick, Jerome Allen

I got a chance to speak with both Hakim Warrick of the Phoenix Suns and Penn basketball coach Jerome Allen for my story on their efforts to set up the Battle for I-95, and their commitment to the Philly community.

Here's some stuff that didn't make the story:

Warrick on playing against the stacked Team Melo squad composed of an Olympic-level quartet of LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Paul

Just o have those guys and to play against the best … they’ve got 4 of the top 10 guys in the league, easily.

I’m really looking forward to it, being able to have that, especially with the lockout going, you’re not going to find too many places with that type of talent on the floor at the same time.

He later added: "I know if you went and put this lineup in the NBA against four of the top 10 guys in the NBA, there’s a big mismatch, but knowing how I am and how everyone else it [on team Philly]… they’re going to have a chip on their shoulder."

Warrick, who grew up just blocks away from the Penn and Drexel campuses, has participated in a number of workouts at the Palestra, though he has never played an official game there — that changes Sunday.
The West Philly native was at the Palestra for the epic Strawberry Mansion vs. St.Vincent-St.Mary game that featured LeBron as a high schooler.

Jerome Allen on how he feels about the respect the Palestra has beyond the Penn community:

The same things that we cherish — the history, the architecture, the persona, the coach, all the things that we associate with the Palestra — [to] know that those same sentiments are shared with individuals that never attended the university ... puts a smile on my face.