76ers star Tyrese Maxey lost all restraint during a team meeting on Monday night. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the young star called out the franchise centerpiece Joel Embiid for always being late to team activities.
“Maxey challenged Embiid to be on time to team activities, calling out the 2022-23 league MVP about being late “for everything” and how it impacts the locker room, from other players to the coaching staff,” wrote Charania. “Maxey and Embiid have a close friendship and a history of holding each other accountable, according to those around the team.”
It wasn’t out of hate that Maxey called out Embiid, it was out of a genuine desire to win and to see the Philadelphia 76ers live up to their potential. For Maxey, the only way that can happen is if their biggest star is fully bought in and leading by example.
It was veteran point guard Kyle Lowry who initially called for a meeting, which came after the team’s 4th straight loss this week. Embiid (30) scored just 11 points in 31:12 minutes, failing to get the 76ers to 90 points against the Heat. They are now 14th in the East at 2-11 for the season.
Desperation at an all-time high, the 76ers came together to hash out their issues in a candid meeting that included players and coaches. Naturally, as the star of the show, it’s natural for Embiid to get some heat but he likely didn’t expect to be chewed out by Tyrese Maxey, who is his friend and six years younger.
The center from Cameroon has had a spotty attendance record in the past and he’s recently gotten into the habit of showing up to team activities later than everyone else. And while stars are always afforded some benefits, it’s not good for the team for Embiid to be so careless with availability. Between missed games and his lack of punctuality, Embiid is hardly there for the 76ers and it might explain their poor chemistry on the court. This season, Embiid even revealed his plans to skip all back-to-back games, further limiting the bond he can build with his teammates.
With the 76ers struggling hard, and the season slipping fast, Tyrese Maxey wanted to challenge Joel Embiid and push him to make a better effort to be there for the team. And while reports indicate that Joel was receptive to the feedback, only time will tell if anything will change.
Whatever happens next, it’s not a good look that someone as young and inexperienced as Tyrese Maxey had to set Joel Embiid straight. For all that the franchise has given up to try and win with Joel, he owes it to them to be there when they call and he can’t expect to win a championship if he’s only playing part-time.
Unfortunately, things won’t be getting better soon for the 76ers. While Embiid played against the Heat, he was downgraded to doubtful before the game and it means his status for Wednesday could be in jeopardy as well unless he can recover from his illness.
After a clash in the FedEx Forum on November 20th, the 76ers will head back to Philadelphia for a small homestand to face the Nets on Friday (7:00 PM EST) before a clash with the Clippers on Sunday at 6:00 PM EST at Wells Fargo Center.
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