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Reading: Joel Embiid Reveals He Didn’t Think He Would Become An NBA Player: “I Mean, You Start Playing Basketball At 16. To Me, It Was Like I Never Really Had A Chance.”
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Home > NBA News & Analysis > Joel Embiid Reveals He Didn’t Think He Would Become An NBA Player: “I Mean, You Start Playing Basketball At 16. To Me, It Was Like I Never Really Had A Chance.”

Joel Embiid Reveals He Didn’t Think He Would Become An NBA Player: “I Mean, You Start Playing Basketball At 16. To Me, It Was Like I Never Really Had A Chance.”

Aaditya Krishnamurthy
Dec 28, 2021
4 Min Read
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Source: The Sixer Sense

Joel Embiid did not have an easy start in his life in the NBA. Embiid was the third overall in the 2014 NBA Draft. But he did not start playing consistently for the 76ers till about his third season, which is considered his rookie year. But since then, he has gone on to become a superstar in the league, and one of the best big men in the NBA today.

It was far from an easy road for Embiid. And while it is always tough for people to make it to the NBA, for Embiid, being from Cameroon, the road was even more complicated. So much so, that Embiid didn’t even think he could be a player in the NBA, and just wanted to use basketball to get a degree that could get him a job.

In a recent interview, Embiid explained that his goal when he first made it to the United States to play basketball was to simply use the sport to get a scholarship that could help him get a degree, and thus a better life. Never in his life did he expect to become an NBA superstar, because it felt like it was too insurmountable a challenge.

“When I came to the states, my goal really was to use this opportunity so I can get some sort of scholarship and some sort of degree so I can go back home and make something out of it. I never knew. I mean, you start playing basketball at 16. To me, it was like I never really had a chance to make it… I think the thing that helped me the most people believed in me from the beginning. That made me work extremely hard to try and get better every single day not to make it to the league because at that point, I always thought I wasn’t good enough even when I got to college. I was always thought there was no way I was making it. The fact that people believed in me and I got to college, that’s what I wanted, honestly. I kinda used that opportunity to get a degree and go work somewhere else and make some money for my family. I would have never imagined.”

Embiid has since become a star in the NBA, a regular All-Star and All-NBA player in the seasons that he is healthy. Last year, he was a solid contender to win MVP and Defensive Player Of The Year. But while that didn’t materialize, there is no denying how talented Embiid really is.

The 76ers know that they have a superstar in the form of Embiid. And while their other superstar, Ben Simmons, has not performed up to expectations, the same cannot be said for Embiid, who has shined at almost every level that he possibly could. And he will likely only get better over the next few years.

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ByAaditya Krishnamurthy
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Aaditya Krishnamurthy is a writer for Fadeaway World covering the latest news and exciting stories from the fascinating world of the NBA. After briefly working as a freelance writer in the sports and business sector, Aaditya began writing for Fadeaway World in 2021 about the day-to-day functioning of the NBA.After graduating from Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts in 2020, he worked as a freelance writer for years before beginning his MA in Communications at Penn State University. Currently, he is in the United States, and traveling to his home country of India. Aside from the NBA, Aaditya is a big sports fan, with soccer, football, Formula 1, and MMA being some of his favorites to watch.
Previous Article Gilbert Arenas’ Legendary Response To Making $62 Million In 17 Games: “It’s Why I’m The GOAT.”
Next Article Joel Embiid Reacts To Tying Allen Iverson For Fewest Games To Reach 7,000 Points In 76ers History: “I Probably Would Have Had 15,000 Points By Now. It’s Great But Not The Focus.”
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