Philadelphia fell in love with Joel Embiid for a variety of reasons--some unrelated to basketball. He entered this sports landscape in 2014, quickly establishing himself as a social media genius. Then, when he finally got on the floor after persevering through foot problems, he exuded an unprecedented personality for a sports figure.
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How could you not love JoJo?
But as time has gone on, championship expectations rose. Being really good and funny at the same time isn't good enough anymore. The big guy playing with a big contract needs to step up and dominate, as he often puts it. And evidently, in order for him to do that, he needs to express himself on the court in ways that might rub some the wrong way.
He says he's done much less celebrating and trash talking to this season, and it's clearly bothering him.
"And it goes back to with me being mature," Embiid said after the Sixers 97-92 win over the Nuggets Tuesday night. "One of the biggest part of my game is just having fun, and by having fun means talking trash, but that part has kind of been cut. I just need to be myself and I guess just do whatever I want because when I'm having fun I dominate. But this year, I don't know, I can probably count on one hand how many times I've (motioned to the crowd to make noise)."
Boo-hoo to anyone offended by Embiid's natural showmanship.
If Embiid wants to chirp, play to the crowd and dance, he shouldn't hesitate. If the big guy believes he'll dominate and get in the heads of opponents like no other, he should go right ahead. To all those who think that's inappropriate and poor sportsmanship—chill out.
"I'm not trying to be a distraction," Embiid said, "but that's just part of my game. And I feel like me losing that part has been, kind of, I think it's kind of taking a toll in my game."
This was clearly something on Embiid's mind, as the question was about if it ever gets old to ask the crowd to make noise and what it is like to have their support. It wasn't about his lack of showmanship or exuberance. It's obviously an issue that's bothering him and something he may be attributing to slightly lower averages in scoring and rebounds.
"Sometimes I might be childish and, like I said, do whatever I want to, but…I care about winning," Embiid said. "Everybody knows that. I do whatever it takes to win. I care about my teammates. I care about the organization. I care about being a role model. So, everybody told me that I need to be—from fans to everybody else—I got to be mature. So I'm doing it and I don't think it's working, but I'm going to keep doing it."
If Embiid truly believes expressing himself by harmless banter and occasional celebration makes him the best player he can be, he should stop listening to the critics and be himself.
Of course there are risks with trash talk and showboating. If you fail, retaliation will come, such as Raptors super-fan Drake mocking Embiid's airplane celebration following a windmill dunk in last season's playoffs. If Embiid gets beat by a guy he trashed, then there's a chance that player will respond with choice words of his own.
As long as there's no more fighting, i.e. the Karl-Anthony Towns tussle, and he's not using vulgar language on social media, then Embiid should chirp and dance away on a nightly basis.
Sports are supposed to be fun, and for the sake of the Sixers, Embiid must find that utmost joy again.
