Celeste E. Whittaker has been the Philadelphia 76ers' beat writer at the Courier-Post (N.J.) since April of 1998 where she covers every aspect of the team. Highlights have included covering the 1999 and 2001 NBA Finals, the 2001, 2002 and 2003 NBA All-Star Games as well as the NBA playoffs from 1999 to 2003.
She previously worked at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution for eight years where she covered women’s and men’s basketball -- including the 1996 Olympic Games as well as college football and high school sports.
Whittaker started her career as an editorial assistant at BusinessWeek Magazine in New York. The Willingboro, N.J., native was a scholarship basketball player at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill before a knee injury ended her career. She graduated from UNC in 1988.
She has won several writing awards, including the New Jersey Press Association first place for sports portfolio in 2000, the Monica Kauffman Media Award in 1999, the Georgia Council on Social Welfare Journalism award in 1997 and second place in 2001 for the Garden State Association of Black Journalists Profile Award.
In her spare time, Whittaker enjoys volunteering with a literacy program called “Bookmates” where she spends an hour each week reading to first graders at local schools. She also is involved with the 76ers' “Read to Achieve” Program.
Celeste is also working on her first book, entitled “Daddy's Girl” about the life of her father, the late Chester M. Whittaker.
