In the aftermath of Joel Embiid’s Game 3 masterpiece on Thursday, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith took it upon himself to fire up the basketball community with one of his hottest takes yet. Speaking on national television, Stephen A. argued that a fully healthy Joel Embiid would rank as the greatest big man in NBA history.
“This dude is one of the greatest big men to ever play the game of basketball. And if he [Joel Embiid] were healthy … there would be a religious conversation: is this not the greatest big man we have ever seen in the history of basketball? The arsenal that this brother has, it’s a crying shame that this dude is not healthy.”
"If [Joel Embiid] were healthy … there would be religious conversation, is this not the greatest big man we have ever seen in the history of basketball?"
—@stephenasmith pic.twitter.com/CDFPibz0UY
— First Take (@FirstTake) April 26, 2024
Naturally, fans were surprised by this take, given that Nikola Jokic is widely considered to be the best big man in the game, even with Embiid healthy. He is the defending champion, after all, while Joel has yet to make it out of the second round.
“Does bro not watch the Nuggets play?” asked one fan on X after watching his take.
Does bro not watch the Nuggets play?
— Always Tilted (@JuiceOnTilt) April 26, 2024
To Stephen A.’s credit, Embiid was on track to win his second straight MVP this season before an injury derailed his campaign. After losing his eligibility for any awards, the only thing Embiid had left to play for was the Larry O’Brien trophy, and he’s doing his best to keep the 76ers alive in that fight.
Since being drafted in 2014, Embiid has emerged as a generational superstar with an MVP win in 2023, 7 All-Star appearances, 5 All-NBA selections, and two scoring titles. In seven seasons with the 76ers, he’s posting career averages of 27.9 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game on 50% shooting. For nearly a decade now, Embiid has been the face of 76ers basketball, and he’s been one of the league’s most dominant forces ever. Even so, he’s got more to prove before he can compare himself with the all-time greats.
Joel Embiid Has A History Of Failure In The Postseason
At 30 years old now, the clock is ticking for Joel Embiid and the 76ers. After a string of brutal injuries, he likely only has a few years left of his prime, MVP-level play before his body starts to fall apart. But when you look back on Embiid’s career so far, it’s hard not to feel like he left something on the table.
During the 2019 playoffs, he nearly had a breakthrough against the Raptors before Kawhi Leonard’s historic shot literally sent the big man home in tears. Two years later, Embiid and the Sixers collapsed against the Atlanta Hawks, thanks (among other things) to a complete loss of confidence from Ben Simmons.
Then there’s last season, when Joel Embiid and his co-star James Harden gave up a 3-2 series lead to the Celtics to lose in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals. After that debacle, the feeling around Philly right now is that people are just waiting for them to fall apart once again. But if Embiid wants to prove himself as one of the greats, and on the same level as Jokic, Kareem, and Wilt, then he’ll need to deliver in the playoffs and get his squad where they haven’t been before.
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