Newest Sixers Guard Gerald Henderson Believes Team Is ‘on the Come Up'

LAS VEGAS – Last April Gerald Henderson posted a photo of Kobe Bryant defending Allen Iverson on Instagram. He captioned it, “All I remember about my childhood…”
 
Fast forward to Saturday and that Sixers uniform is now part of his adulthood.
 
Henderson, who played high school basketball at Episcopal Academy, signed a two-year deal with $18 million for his hometown team. After he received offers from multiple teams, he looks forward to being in the city where he was a fan.
 
“No other teams could offer the kind of feelings I have towards the organization and where we’ll be playing,” Henderson, who is in Las Vegas for Mike Woodson’s golf tournament, said before the Sixers played the Lakers in summer league. “It’s a dream come true.”
 
Henderson is entering his eighth NBA season. He will add experience to the locker room and the backcourt. He averaged 8.7 points (43.9 percent from the field, 35.3 percent from three), 2.9 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 19.9 minutes off the Trail Blazers’ bench.
 
Henderson said he will bring energy, a defensive-focused approach and leadership. His biggest asset to the young Sixers team will be his veteran know-how. He is already closely tied to one young player, fellow Duke star Jahlil Okafor. 
 
“I’ve always felt like on all levels I’ve been a leader, so that won’t be difficult for me,” Henderson said.
 
Henderson, 28, is looking forward to playing for a rebuilding club. He was impressed by Brett Brown’s enthusiasm for the team and noted “he’s hard to say no to.” The Sixers losing record didn’t scare him away. He was a member of the 2012 Bobcats that old the worst winning percentage.
 
“I know what it feels like to be on a team where no one’s looking at you as a winner,” Henderson said. “But just talking to Coach Brown and the other guys upstairs, they have a plan. Anybody knows that with any kind of success, it all started with a plan.”
 
Henderson joined the Sixers for their first summer league game in Las Vegas, also his first glimpse at his new squad.
 
“They’re on the come up,” Henderson said. “They had a really good offseason so far."