Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid is known for his acts of trolling other players and teammates on and off the court. But a recent story by ESPN’s Dotun Akintoye revealed that this has been a part of the big man’s personality for a long time.
Recalling a story from his college days with the Kansas Jayhawks, Embiid’s coach, Bill Self, revealed how the center would captivate his teammates with exotic tales from his childhood in Cameroon. Having even convinced his teammates that he killed a lion as a rite of passage, Self added:
“People actually believed him. There was a lot of things that he would do in fun, but I never knew him to be much of a talker as far as expressing true feelings.”
Embiid’s antics were harmless, but Akintoye noted that they were part of the experience of getting to know the big man, writing, “Where he decides how full of it you are by watching as you try to discern how full of it he is.”
Among all the fun and jokes, the ESPN reporter mentioned that these were all mechanisms used by the big man to hide himself, as he wrote, “Instead of being known, he [Embiid] subsisted on being known as clever.”
Regardless, this aspect of his personality has been essential in carving out the individual he is today. Widely regarded as one of the best players in the league when he’s healthy, Embiid will look to return to the floor with a relatively unchanged 76ers squad next season.
After injuries derailed their campaign last season, Philadelphia will be hoping to display a better performance this year. With the likes of Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain also expected to be healthy to start the season, the 76ers could be a team to watch out for.
The outlook for Embiid and co-star Paul George remains concerning at this point. The 76ers’ star center is still recovering from his knee injury and hasn’t begun on-court activities as of yet. In the process of making a comeback, the 31-year-old has also expressed his desire to take his time with recovering after surgery instead of rushing the process.
Meanwhile, George, the 76ers’ star forward, also recently underwent arthroscopic surgery on his knee. He is expected to be re-evaluated at the start of training camp, though the typical recovery timeline could keep him sidelined for an extended period.
This could dampen Philadelphia’s plans for next season, especially if Embiid is expected to miss the season opener. The 76ers are a significantly more formidable team when their star is on the court. Considering his averages of 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in just 19 games, Philadelphia will have a hard time replicating these figures without their All-Star.
