Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers destroyed the Orlando Magic in their most recent matchup. The 76ers won the game comfortably with a score of 123-110 in their favor.
The star of the show was without a doubt the Sixers big man Joel Embiid. Embiid finished the game with a sensational 50 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 assists. The biggest achievement of this statline was that Embiid played just 27 minutes in the game.
Following his phenomenal performance, Joel received praise from all around the globe. This isn’t the first time that the Sixers big man has carried the team on his back. In fact, in absence of Ben Simmons, Embiid has shouldered all the burden of his team this season.
Moreover, it seems like the 27-year-old center is full of confidence. His teammate Tyrese Maxey revealed a funny conversation with him that he had before the fixture against the Magic.
“A fan. I was a fan. It was amazing to watch…I was messing with him before the game, ‘Who are you going to be tonight? Shaq? Dirk?’ He was like, ‘I’m going to be Joel.'”
.@TyreseMaxey on being @JoelEmbiid’s teammate tonight:
“A fan. I was a fan. It was amazing to watch…
I was messing with him before the game, ‘Who are you going to be tonight? Shaq? Dirk?’
He was like, ‘I’m going to be Joel.”
— Lauren Rosen (@LaurenMRosen) January 20, 2022
Embiid put on a show for everyone, and he was full of confidence after his insane game. In the postgame conference, Joel revealed that he has the ability to channel the NBA greats at any given time.
“I said me because at times whenever I want, I’m able to be Shaq. And whenever I want, I’m also able to be Dirk or Kobe or MJ, guards really. Shooting off the dribble, pull-ups or ball-handling, just a combination of everything offensively. So, I was OK tonight.”
Joel Embiid: "I said me because at times whenever I want, I'm able to be Shaq. And whenever I want, I'm also able to be Dirk or Kobe or MJ, guards really. Shooting off the dribble, pull-ups or ball-handling, just a combination of everything offensively."
"So, I was OK tonight." pic.twitter.com/ivJriymC91
— Rich Hofmann (@rich_hofmann) January 20, 2022
Embiid was more than OK against the Magic, he single-handedly destroyed the team. Following this victory, the 76ers are 26-18. But they are in the stacked Eastern Conference, so this record is only good for the 5th seed in the conference.
The good news for the 76ers is the fact that they are just 2.5 games behind the 1st seed. To be honest, if Embiid continues to perform at this level, reaching the number one seed is not out of the question for the franchise.
As for his claims about channeling the NBA greats such as Shaq, Kobe, MJ, and Dirk, he is not lying about it. Here is a phenomenal video of Embiid pulling up shots close to the names that he earlier mentioned.
Study the legends & you may become one… @JoelEmbiid pic.twitter.com/yO8fMjweDS
— Drew Hanlen (@DrewHanlen) January 18, 2022
The resemblance between the moves is uncanny and it is one of the reasons why Joel Embiid is a dominant player in today’s NBA. He can adjust his game according to what his team requires from him.
