Nerlens Noel is offering to buy cheesesteaks for Sixers fans in South Philly tonight

Ever wanted a meal comped by former Sixers center Nerlens Noel? Tonight might be your best chance to make it happen.

With the Mavericks in town to take on Noel’s old team in a St. Patrick’s Day showdown, Noel offered to pick up the tab for Philadelphians who wanted to stop by South Philly mainstay Chickie’s and Pete’s tonight:

Inquiring minds will wonder whether Noel is willing to pay for the order of crab fries you’ll inevitably get — I mean come on — but it’s a nice gesture from a player who the city embraced for his defensive presence and blue-collar attitude.

Fans on both sides of the Noel debate will feel partially vindicated by his time in Dallas. Noel has already missed a couple games due to soreness in his left knee, the same one he had surgery on prior to the season. If one of your major concerns with Noel was his propensity to be banged up, this will confirm that.

For the Noel fans and critics of the trade among us, Dallas’ play with him on the court hurts that much more:

Whether you think Noel should make $20 million or 20 cents a year, you can probably still get him to buy you a cheesesteak tonight. And that’s what the American Dream is all about, after all.