Alan Horwitz

Lore & Background

Horwitz was born to a Jewish family. His family moved to a wealthy neighborhood in Philadelphia at the age of five, after his father bought and built up an old property. He attended Overbrook High School. In 1958, Horwitz founded Campus Apartments after seeing a lack of affordable housing on the University of Pennsylvania's campus. He purchased properties around Penn's campus with the goal of building quality and affordable housing for students and later university faculty and young members of the workforce. He captured the student housing market by taking advantage of the lack of competition and the undeveloped area surrounding the campus. Horwitz was a mentor to the current CEO of Campus Apartments, David J. Adelman, who invested $2,000 of his Bar Mitzvah money with Horwitz, which was then invested in off-campus student housing near Penn.

Horwitz has been described as an NBA superfan and nicknamed the 'Sixth Man' of the Philadelphia 76ers and the 'Sixers Jack Nicholson.' He has attended 76ers games since the 1960s when the team played at the Philadelphia Convention Hall and Civic Center and has been a season ticket holder for more than 60 years. He kneels courtside during games and has trademark handshakes with many current and former 76ers including Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Jimmy Butler, Justin Anderson, Lou Williams, and Elton Brand. He had a close relationship with T. J. McConnell, who jokingly knocked Horwitz's hat off his head. Horwitz socializes with players, taking them to dinner and to Philadelphia Phillies and Philadelphia Eagles games. He is still friends with former players Andre Iguodala and Evan Turner, and is 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. He sometimes travels on the team's airplane to away games.

Horwitz has been in multiple altercations while sitting courtside. During Game 4 of the first round of the 2009 NBA playoffs against the Orlando Magic, he acted as a sixth defender and stood close to the baseline; Hedo Türkoğlu hit a game-winning three in front of him. In 2012, after a loose ball, Horwitz stared down Kobe Bryant and yelled. During the 2012 NBA playoffs, he was ejected from TD Garden during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals between the 76ers and the Boston Celtics after making contact with Rajon Rondo. In the 2019 NBA Playoffs, Horwitz went viral for standing and shaking a 76ers banner after every point in Toronto, and got into a shouting match with Canadian rapper Drake. During Game 4 of that series, he taunted and quarreled with Kyle Lowry. On June 8, 2021, a video between Horwitz and rapper Lil Baby trash talking went viral, viewed more than 40 million times. On March 7, 2022, Horwitz was involved in an incident where he was apparently snubbed by James Harden; it was later reported that the team had asked him to 'tone down' his rhetoric and that he was previously suspended for a game in February 2022.

Reader's Guide

Alan Horwitz's significance lies in his dual legacy as a pioneering real estate developer and an iconic sports superfan. As founder and chairman of Campus Apartments, he identified a critical need for affordable student housing near the University of Pennsylvania and built a successful company that shaped the off-campus housing market. His business acumen earned him recognition from Bloomberg News as 'one of Philadelphia's top real estate success stories.' Beyond business, Horwitz became a beloved and sometimes controversial fixture of Philadelphia 76ers culture. His nearly six decades of courtside attendance, trademark jersey, and interactions with players and celebrities have made him a symbol of passionate fandom. His philanthropic efforts, including a $2 million donation to build the Horwitz-Wasserman Holocaust Memorial Plaza and a $5 million donation to Philadelphia Youth Basketball for the Alan Horwitz 'Sixth Man' Center, demonstrate a commitment to community and youth development. His induction into the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and the creation of 'The Sixth Man' pizza in his honor further cement his cultural impact. Horwitz's story illustrates how a business leader can transcend his industry to become a public figure, blending entrepreneurship, sports enthusiasm, and charitable giving into a distinctive Philadelphia legacy.

Did You Know?

• He has been a season ticket holder for the Philadelphia 76ers for more than 60 years.
• In 2018, Horwitz donated $2 million to help build the Horwitz-Wasserman Holocaust Memorial Plaza on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia.
• A pizza called 'The Sixth Man' was added to the menu of Angelos Pizzeria of South Philly to honor Horwitz, with a $1.76 donation per pizza to Philadelphia Youth Basketball.