Pat Croce has one regret in life and he doesn't want the students at Philadelphia's Universal Charter School to make the same mistake he did when he was a kid

"I didn't read until I really got into college," said Croce to a packed room of students and media at the NBA's Read to Achieve launch in South Philly on Monday afternoon. "I would say I was reading, but I wasn't reading, I was cheating."

There was a time when the high-energy Sixers president and part owner preferred hanging out at street corners rather than libraries. Who has time for reading he thought, reading was boring.

"I didn't read enough so how can you develop dreams when you don't even know what's available?" asked Croce. "But reading opens the door to the world of wonder. Once you get addicted to it and it's a theater in your mind, it's fabulous.

"I love to read."

Now a voracious reader, Croce leafs through six books a month and even penned a best seller, titled I Feel Great and You Will, Too!

George Lynch stressed the importance of reading. NBAE Photos

Croce's enthusiasm for the written word was one of the many highlights of Monday's 90-minute session at 801 South 15th Street, which also featured Sixers Raja Bell, Matt Geiger, George Lynch, Todd MacCulloch, Pepe Sanchez, Eric Snow, former Sixers' great World B. Free and team mascot Hip-Hop. Others attending the press conference included Commissioner David Stern; Billy Hunter, Executive Director of the NBA Players Association; Marc Jackson of the Golden State Warriors; Laron Profit of the Washington Wizards; Kenneth Gamble, founder of the Universal Community Homes; and Summer Sanders of NBA Inside Stuff. All came together to stress the importance of reading as well as sharing personal success stories.

"I read to my son every night," said Snow. "You really don't understand how important it is until you see a two-year old able to comprehend what you're saying and when he looks forward to you reading to him at night, it warms up your heart."

Demonstrating Read to Achieve in action, the guests of the Universal Charter School read to students in separate classrooms. Seven-foot-center MacCulloch carefully folded his body in a small chair and elicited the assistance of students in classroom 12 as he read from the Scholastic book The Rain Came Down.

"Hurry up, or I'll miss my plane!" she told the taxi driver. So he started honking the horn," read MacCulloch.

Honk, honk, honk!! shouted the students.

"The truck driver in front of him got mad and started honking back. I have tomatoes to deliver! He shouted. The ice cream man heard the honking and turned up the music on his van. "Jingle-a-jingle" went his music," added MacCulloch.

Jingle-a-jingle!! Jingle-a-jingle!! Shouted the students.

Raja Bell and Summer Sanders read to kids. NBAE Photos

"It was fun, the kids were really into it," said MacCulloch. "They're really excited about the game and I think they might listen to me over someone else. I think a lot of them can identify with seeing us on TV. I think it shows them anybody can do it."

For 8-year-old Kyle Harvey, having a member of the Eastern Conference Champions read to his class made a lasting impression.

"It's great having the NBA here today, said Harvey. "I enjoyed it, and it's going to help my reading."

The Universal Charter School opened in September 1999 and is part of Universal Companies, a group of not-for-profit and for-profit organizations created by world-renowned musical writer, composer and producer and CEO of Philadelphia International Records, Kenneth Gamble. Since its origin in 1993, Universal emerged as one of the city's largest providers of affordable housing in Gamble's efforts to rebuild his old neighborhood in South Philly.

"This is a great partnership and this is a championship team, Universal and the NBA," said Gamble. "Universal's plan is to create a community that provides great education and great economic development opportunities."

Thanks to Gamble's commitment to the community and education, students at Universal Charter can pursue their dreams in becoming tomorrow's leaders -- especially if they read.

"You don't know what you have here at this school," said Free. "You might have the next Rev. Jesse Jackson or the next president here."

Or maybe, the next Pat Croce.