Joel Embiid has absolutely dominated several opposing players on the basketball court who are helpless in their attempts to try and defend him. The Sixers' big man looks like just that — a big man among little boys — when he's putting up 30-plus points on a near-nightly basis, ripping down rebounds at a top-20 rate, and stifling anyone who tries to score on him in a manner that puts him in the conversation for DPOY every season. In fact, some would go so far as to say that he has become the figurative "father" of some fellow NBA big men over the course of his career: Rudy Gobert and Andre Drummond are two who come to mind, with the latter getting a direct diss from Embiid.
But becoming a father toward the end of 2020 — literally, not figuratively — to a baby boy is something that has helped him to play at an MVP-level throughout the 2020-21 season. It's not that he wasn't good in past years. Anyone who posts averages of 23.0 points, 11.6 rebounds and 2.2 combined blocks and steals— which were his 2019-20 numbers — is pretty damn good. But this year, there is a legitimate argument to be made that he is the single most valuable player in the league for his team. When he starts, the Sixers are 29-8. Without him, they're 9-9.
Embiid spoke with Zach Lowe on "The Lowe Post" about fatherhood and how it drastically changed not only his production on the court but also his lifestyle habits and mentality toward the game.
"It's changed me in a lot of ways... playing basketball, the way I take care of my body, what I eat..." Embiid said, adding that he added a new chef and routine to help him strengthen his muscles. "I'd say the biggest part that comes with it is having him, because I want him to see... [me] winning championships. Not just one, winning championships. Obviously you've got to win one first and then you start thinking about the other ones.
"And I want him to see that [I] dominated and [I'm] the MVP and Defensive Player of the Year, so that was one of the reasons why everything changed."
Embiid announced the birth of his son, Arthur (named after his late brother), to the world in September of 2020, about a month after the Sixers played their final game in the bubble, a loss to the Celtics.
Embiid reflected on how the whole bubble experience — and 2020 season altogether — was not the same type of basketball that he is playing now and that he wants to be playing.
"Last year was also different. I just didn't have the joy," Embiid said. "I'm not gonna get into it, but everything with the team, and everything around just wasn't right. Like, it's too much to talk about but it just wasn't right, and I wasn't having fun at times last year.
"I'll be honest, I would come in — like I said, I'm the type of guy [who loves] playing basketball — and I would come into the gym and I would feel like, oh my god, I hope this goes so fast so I can leave, so I can go home. That's how I felt last year. And I was at the point where I was just losing my mind, everything was just not going god around then. That kind of explains how last year went, and this year, having a kid, you know, changed everything."
However, as well as Embiid is playing, he can't deny that he misses his family.
“I’m kind of bummed about not being home every single day," Embiid told announcer Marc Zumoff (via NBC Philadelphia). "I miss them a lot when I’m on the road, but it’s been great. I like to keep my life private, so I don’t want to talk too much about it, but it’s been an amazing experience. Just watching him grow every single day makes me better. I think that’s also part of me being better this year."
So next time you watch Embiid and feel thankful that you're able to root for such a dominant presence and charismatic star, send a little thank you to baby Arthur as well.
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