In one of the final games of the season, Joel Embiid made one of his loudest statement games yet.
In a 133-120 win over Indiana, the star big man dropped an incredible 41 points and 20 rebounds on 82.4% shooting.
It was an absolute masterpiece, and even Embiid himself did not shy away from the word “dominance” when asked about the performance.
“I’ve always stated that I want to dominate every single night. Dominance can manifest itself in a variety of ways, whether offensively or defensively, and sometimes it’s in the numbers… So I guess it’s good,” said Embiid.
Joel Embiid upon learning he scored the first 40/20 game of this NBA season:
“I’ve always said every single night I want to dominate. Dominating can show up in a lot of different ways whether it’s offensively or defensively, sometimes it’s in the numbers… So I guess it’s good.”
— Lauren Rosen (@LaurenMRosen) April 9, 2022
Embiid said he wants to dominate every night, and he has gotten pretty close to doing that this season. As the leading MVP candidate, he’s averaging 30.4 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game on 49% shooting.
He has been a truly dominant force for the past several years. The only thing more impressive than his play right now is how he got here.
After not picking up a basketball until becoming a teenager, he missed out on his first two seasons in the league and even considered retiring before playing his first game. It’s an incredible story that really reflects Embiid’s determined spirit.
In 2014, when Embiid was rehabbing with the Sixers, his 13-year old brother, Arthur, died after a runaway truck careened into a Cameroonian schoolyard. In the months that followed, Embiid considered moving back to Africa. Perhaps he’d play volleyball, a sport he excelled at as a teenager. Maybe handball, his father’s game. “I was in a bad place,” says Embiid. “And that’s when all the stories were coming out every single day. ‘Oh, Joel, he doesn’t want to work. He’s a bust. He’s never going to play.’ There was all this bad stuff. And then you add my loss.” Embiid’s voice trails off. “People don’t understand the human side of all of it,” he says. “But I never complain about it. We make a lot of money. [Criticism] comes with it.
Eventually, the star big man overcame the odds and took his place right up there with the best in the league. The only question now is if his play will translate into a Championship for Philadelphia.
So far, things have been rocky with James Harden. But if he continues to put on this display of excellence, the Sixers are going to be a tough team for anybody to beat.
