Nerlens Noel did the Rocky II run through Philadelphia on Friday

Nerlens Noel took a step to ingratiate himself with the city of Philadelphia on Friday, taking part in one of the city's most historic sports traditions: the Rocky II run.

Of course, the run through the city that Sylvester Stallone's Rocky Balboa did in the 1979 classic is estimated to have been more than 30 miles, so Noel didn't do the actual run, but he hit most of the main spots, culminating with the steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (which are no easy test on their own, trust).

[Photos courtesy NBA.com]

"You see how it started, how Rocky started," Noel said. "I'm just blessed to be here. When I was (at the Italian Market), there was just so much love. Guys were throwing me apples, guys were throwing me oranges, kind of like the movie."

The run, called a "scene-for-scene" remake rather than a marathon-plus, was part of a feature for the NBA.com show NBA Rooks. It seems Noel got plenty out of it: