*** -- PROCESSING Your Philadelphia 76ers -- ***

Wobbie

Jo’s special.

The Juggler

Poncier said:

Wobbie said:

The Juggler said:

Wobbie said:

The Juggler said:

it's not a new thing with Jo, just that the ramp up is a little behind due to the workload over the summer. Hopefully will be ready next week. 

huh? workload?

The Olympics?

I didn’t think he played, but I guess he did. Seems dumb to me. I hate pros playing in the Olympics.  

anyway, weren’t the olympics like three months ago? seems like a guy could have rested and “ramped up” by now.

The Olympics are a tough, grueling test that leaves the competitors unable to participate in basketball activities for months, maybe years after Wob. It greatly affects their ability to perform in NBA openers 75 days later.
Just look at the US roster and how they were hampered on opening night:

Bam Adebayo: 26 Minutes, 9 points 5 Rebounds, 1 assist
Devin Booker: 32 Minutes, 15 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists
Steph Curry: 25 minutes, 17 points, 9 rebounds. 10 assists
Anthony Davis: 38 minutes, 36 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks,
Kevin Durant: 44 minutes, 25 points, 7 rebounds, 0 assists
Anthony Edwards: 41 minutes, 27 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists
Joel Embiid: Resting and ramping up due to the workload
Tyrese Haliburton: 35 minutes, 15 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists
Jrue Holiday: 31 minutes, 18 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists
LeBron James: 35 minutes, 16 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 hug with unqualified to be on NBA roster son
Jayson Tatum: 30 minutes, 37 points, 4 rebounds, 10 assists
Derrick White: 27 minutes, 24 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists

Only one of them had a meniscus injury in the spring though. He probably should not have played in the Olympics.



Also....are we sure Tatum was actually on the Olympic team? lol

Poncier

The Juggler said:

Poncier said:

Wobbie said:

The Juggler said:

Wobbie said:

The Juggler said:

it's not a new thing with Jo, just that the ramp up is a little behind due to the workload over the summer. Hopefully will be ready next week. 

huh? workload?

The Olympics?

I didn’t think he played, but I guess he did. Seems dumb to me. I hate pros playing in the Olympics.  

anyway, weren’t the olympics like three months ago? seems like a guy could have rested and “ramped up” by now.

The Olympics are a tough, grueling test that leaves the competitors unable to participate in basketball activities for months, maybe years after Wob. It greatly affects their ability to perform in NBA openers 75 days later.
Just look at the US roster and how they were hampered on opening night:

Bam Adebayo: 26 Minutes, 9 points 5 Rebounds, 1 assist
Devin Booker: 32 Minutes, 15 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists
Steph Curry: 25 minutes, 17 points, 9 rebounds. 10 assists
Anthony Davis: 38 minutes, 36 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks,
Kevin Durant: 44 minutes, 25 points, 7 rebounds, 0 assists
Anthony Edwards: 41 minutes, 27 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists
Joel Embiid: Resting and ramping up due to the workload
Tyrese Haliburton: 35 minutes, 15 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists
Jrue Holiday: 31 minutes, 18 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists
LeBron James: 35 minutes, 16 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 hug with unqualified to be on NBA roster son
Jayson Tatum: 30 minutes, 37 points, 4 rebounds, 10 assists
Derrick White: 27 minutes, 24 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists

Also....are we sure Tatum was actually on the Olympic team? lol

Oh he was there. Has the gold medal that goes nicely with his NBA Championship Ring.

The Juggler

Poncier

Love a Ron Burgundy appearance.

The Juggler

Poncier said:

Love a Ron Burgundy appearance.

Go fuck yourself Boston!

pjhawks

Wobbie said:

Jo’s special.

is that a new word for soft?

Wobbie

Poncier said:

Wobbie said:

The Juggler said:

Wobbie said:

The Juggler said:

it's not a new thing with Jo, just that the ramp up is a little behind due to the workload over the summer. Hopefully will be ready next week. 

huh? workload?

The Olympics?

I didn’t think he played, but I guess he did. Seems dumb to me. I hate pros playing in the Olympics.  

anyway, weren’t the olympics like three months ago? seems like a guy could have rested and “ramped up” by now.

The Olympics are a tough, grueling test that leaves the competitors unable to participate in basketball activities for months, maybe years after Wob. It greatly affects their ability to perform in NBA openers 75 days later.
Just look at the US roster and how they were hampered on opening night:

Bam Adebayo: 26 Minutes, 9 points 5 Rebounds, 1 assist
Devin Booker: 32 Minutes, 15 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists
Steph Curry: 25 minutes, 17 points, 9 rebounds. 10 assists
Anthony Davis: 38 minutes, 36 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks,
Kevin Durant: 44 minutes, 25 points, 7 rebounds, 0 assists
Anthony Edwards: 41 minutes, 27 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists
Joel Embiid: Resting and ramping up due to the workload
Tyrese Haliburton: 35 minutes, 15 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists
Jrue Holiday: 31 minutes, 18 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists
LeBron James: 35 minutes, 16 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 hug with unqualified to be on NBA roster son
Jayson Tatum: 30 minutes, 37 points, 4 rebounds, 10 assists
Derrick White: 27 minutes, 24 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists

Great effort on that post! you even alphabetized the players. strong work. 👍

The Juggler

Wobbie said:

Poncier said:

Wobbie said:

The Juggler said:

Wobbie said:

The Juggler said:

it's not a new thing with Jo, just that the ramp up is a little behind due to the workload over the summer. Hopefully will be ready next week. 

huh? workload?

The Olympics?

I didn’t think he played, but I guess he did. Seems dumb to me. I hate pros playing in the Olympics.  

anyway, weren’t the olympics like three months ago? seems like a guy could have rested and “ramped up” by now.

The Olympics are a tough, grueling test that leaves the competitors unable to participate in basketball activities for months, maybe years after Wob. It greatly affects their ability to perform in NBA openers 75 days later.
Just look at the US roster and how they were hampered on opening night:

Bam Adebayo: 26 Minutes, 9 points 5 Rebounds, 1 assist
Devin Booker: 32 Minutes, 15 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists
Steph Curry: 25 minutes, 17 points, 9 rebounds. 10 assists
Anthony Davis: 38 minutes, 36 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks,
Kevin Durant: 44 minutes, 25 points, 7 rebounds, 0 assists
Anthony Edwards: 41 minutes, 27 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists
Joel Embiid: Resting and ramping up due to the workload
Tyrese Haliburton: 35 minutes, 15 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists
Jrue Holiday: 31 minutes, 18 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists
LeBron James: 35 minutes, 16 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 hug with unqualified to be on NBA roster son
Jayson Tatum: 30 minutes, 37 points, 4 rebounds, 10 assists
Derrick White: 27 minutes, 24 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists

Great effort on that post! you even alphabetized the players. strong work. 👍

Had to be a cut and paste job from somewhere, no? 

Poncier

The Juggler said:

Wobbie said:

Poncier said:

Wobbie said:

The Juggler said:

Wobbie said:

The Juggler said:

it's not a new thing with Jo, just that the ramp up is a little behind due to the workload over the summer. Hopefully will be ready next week. 

huh? workload?

The Olympics?

I didn’t think he played, but I guess he did. Seems dumb to me. I hate pros playing in the Olympics.  

anyway, weren’t the olympics like three months ago? seems like a guy could have rested and “ramped up” by now.

The Olympics are a tough, grueling test that leaves the competitors unable to participate in basketball activities for months, maybe years after Wob. It greatly affects their ability to perform in NBA openers 75 days later.
Just look at the US roster and how they were hampered on opening night:

Bam Adebayo: 26 Minutes, 9 points 5 Rebounds, 1 assist
Devin Booker: 32 Minutes, 15 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists
Steph Curry: 25 minutes, 17 points, 9 rebounds. 10 assists
Anthony Davis: 38 minutes, 36 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks,
Kevin Durant: 44 minutes, 25 points, 7 rebounds, 0 assists
Anthony Edwards: 41 minutes, 27 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists
Joel Embiid: Resting and ramping up due to the workload
Tyrese Haliburton: 35 minutes, 15 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists
Jrue Holiday: 31 minutes, 18 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists
LeBron James: 35 minutes, 16 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 hug with unqualified to be on NBA roster son
Jayson Tatum: 30 minutes, 37 points, 4 rebounds, 10 assists
Derrick White: 27 minutes, 24 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists

Great effort on that post! you even alphabetized the players. strong work. 👍

Had to be a cut and paste job from somewhere, no? 

No.

eeriepadave

finally picked up our first win. Game shouldn't have gone to OT to begin with though.

Wobbie

The Juggler said:

Poncier said:

Wobbie said:

The Juggler said:

Wobbie said:

The Juggler said:

it's not a new thing with Jo, just that the ramp up is a little behind due to the workload over the summer. Hopefully will be ready next week. 

huh? workload?

The Olympics?

I didn’t think he played, but I guess he did. Seems dumb to me. I hate pros playing in the Olympics.  

anyway, weren’t the olympics like three months ago? seems like a guy could have rested and “ramped up” by now.

The Olympics are a tough, grueling test that leaves the competitors unable to participate in basketball activities for months, maybe years after Wob. It greatly affects their ability to perform in NBA openers 75 days later.
Just look at the US roster and how they were hampered on opening night:

Bam Adebayo: 26 Minutes, 9 points 5 Rebounds, 1 assist
Devin Booker: 32 Minutes, 15 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists
Steph Curry: 25 minutes, 17 points, 9 rebounds. 10 assists
Anthony Davis: 38 minutes, 36 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks,
Kevin Durant: 44 minutes, 25 points, 7 rebounds, 0 assists
Anthony Edwards: 41 minutes, 27 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists
Joel Embiid: Resting and ramping up due to the workload
Tyrese Haliburton: 35 minutes, 15 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists
Jrue Holiday: 31 minutes, 18 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists
LeBron James: 35 minutes, 16 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 hug with unqualified to be on NBA roster son
Jayson Tatum: 30 minutes, 37 points, 4 rebounds, 10 assists
Derrick White: 27 minutes, 24 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists

Only one of them had a meniscus injury in the spring though. He probably should not have played in the Olympics.

I was able to recover from my torn meniscus much faster….and I was 25 years “Jo’s” senior when mine happened.

The Juggler

eeriepadave said:

finally picked up our first win. Game shouldn't have gone to OT to begin with though.

Love when Tyrese plays angry. That was a fun game yesterday.

Wobbie

easy money.

The Juggler

Wobbie said:

easy money.

I'd Roger Clemens him and not start him until December every year if it were up to me. 

eeriepadave

no Paul George either

Wobbie

eeriepadave said:

no Paul George either

I’m shocked!

Wobbie

JoJo has done so much for your “fucking city”…at $50M/yr.

xavier mcdaniel

https://x.com/PompeyOnSixers/status/1852902738499158241

The Juggler

Marcus Hayes is trash and always has been. I wish Jo actually did punch him out lol.

For perspective from a real reporter who covers the team, read this:

In a moment that could define a season, Joel Embiid's humanity was on display

KYLE NEUBECK

NOVEMBER 3, 2024

Nov 2, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Injured Philadelphia 76ers Paul George (R) and Joel Embiid (L) look on during the first quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Joel Embiid, as you might have heard, has a problem with Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes.

The gist of that problem, as Embiid laid clear on Saturday night, was the lede of a recent column Hayes wrote that has since been edited/retracted. Here is that passage in its initial form:

Joel Embiid consistently points to the birth of his son, Arthur, as the major inflection point in his basketball career. He often says that he wants to be great to leave a legacy for the boy named after his little brother, who tragically died in an automobile accident when Embiid was in his first year as a 76er.

Well, in order to be great at your job, you first have to show up for work. Embiid has been great at just the opposite. Now in his 11th season, he consistently has been in poor condition. This poor conditioning apparently seems to have delayed his debut this season. Embiid won’t play in Wednesday’s opener or the next two games.

Marcus Hayes, Philadelphia Inquirer

Embiid fired his warning shot at Hayes on Friday, during his first media appearance in weeks, calling Hayes’ writing “bullshit” while referring to him as “Marcus what’s his name” in a long, pointed response. Saturday evening, Embiid was face-to-face with his new enemy moments after the Embiid-less Sixers had completed their loss to the Grizzlies.

By the time reporters got to the locker room, Embiid was already ready to let it rip. With Hayes in front of him and a decent-sized contingent of reporters, PR, security, and teammates nearby, Embiid rose from his seat at his corner locker. Just before Tyrese Maxey could begin a postgame media session at his locker, the big man began lighting into Hayes in person.

In no uncertain terms, Embiid told Hayes he could accept anything he wanted to call him as a player, and that Hayes could criticize him for anything he wanted to when it came to his play on the floor. But when it came to his late brother and his son, that was a different story.

“The next time you bring up my dead brother and my son again,” Embiid said, “you are going to see what I’m going to do to you.”

The two carried on for what seemed like two minutes or so, with Embiid rejecting an apology from Hayes because it wasn’t, “the fucking first time,” Hayes had run afoul of him. When Hayes pointed out that this portion of his article had been removed after initial blowback, Embiid scoffed at the notion, saying it did not matter as it never should have been there in the first place.

After some more back-and-forth, Embiid shoved Hayes in the shoulder, at which point a team security and PR contingent that was already close by stepped in to put a stop to things. All parties were whisked in different directions — Embiid to the back, Hayes to the center of the locker room, and Maxey to the hallway, where reporters were briefly expected to ask him a few questions about the game (lol).

Marcus Hayes and I have very different jobs at very different companies. But this is an example of why I have a rule that is effectively, “People’s personal lives are mostly irrelevant to my job.”

There have been limitless opportunities to feel otherwise since I started on this beat. But as a general rule, I don’t care about whether James Harden is in Las Vegas between games; I do not care if Ben Simmons is dating one of the Kardashian/Jenner clan; I do not care about Jared McCain’s TikToks, Matisse Thybulle’s vlogs, or Paul Reed’s sweatshirt business. Allen Iverson won an NBA MVP while singlehandedly keeping the Cityline Ave. TGI Fridays in business. I care about the lives of players insofar as their habits inform their productivity, but your obligation as I see it is what takes place for those 48 minutes between the lines.

If you do want to detour through personal lives, Embiid has not been shy about reminding people about the importance of his family. And it’s important to reckon with why he’d react in such a way to a random newspaper column beyond noticing he lost a close family member.

His late brother, Arthur, is the namesake of Embiid’s young son for good reason. Arthur’s passing in 2014 was a source of great strife for Embiid, who was close with his younger sibling throughout their lives. When he got the news, the older brother was in Philadelphia by himself, rehabbing from his first foot surgery, only able to return home for a brief period for the funeral. After he returned from Cameroon following the funeral, Embiid has gone as far as to say that he felt he lost his purpose in life, and that he considered quitting the sport entirely while he dealt with this grief during a low moment of his pro career.

On Friday, many mocked an idea Embiid had verbalized, that he had “done way too much” for Philadelphia to take the sort of criticism he had from Hayes. Arthur was a perfect example of what that means in practice. Embiid’s younger brother visited the U.S. shortly after he was drafted by the Sixers, but the two brothers never got to see one another, with Joel on the West Coast post-surgery and Arthur staying with family on the East Coast. The brothers assumed they’d have a chance to meet up and spend time together soon after, but when Arthur passed away later that year, it had been over three years since they’d been able to see each other in person.

That feeling of regret, an absence and a distance that can never be made up for, is part of what it means when Embiid says he has sacrificed for the team and the city he represents. His brother represents a connection to a childhood Embiid didn’t get to finish where he was raised, the representation of the cost that was paid to come to America in the hope that he’d make something of himself.

These anecdotes are part of the public record. They’ve been said by Joel, at times even written by Joel, offered as a window into his mind and soul. Invoking Arthur’s name is not an attempt to fairly or honestly assess why or how Embiid isn’t currently on a basketball floor, it’s just the quickest, most effective way to jab him. It is only effective because it is so cheap, a vulnerability Embiid offered about himself used to bludgeon him. So the majority of people understand Embiid drawing a hard line on family, even if it has messy results.

There is one bit of gray for me — just as he has an obligation to his loved ones, Embiid has an obligation to his teammates. Whether you can understand the inclination or not, Embiid has put himself at risk for punishment that could impact a Sixers season already off to a brutal start. They are drowning without him, and as a result of a fight they have nothing to do with, his teammates may be forced to continue flailing aimlessly.

Strip away the particulars and it’s not entirely different than how we’d think about a star player getting thrown out of an important game for a gratuitous flagrant or double tech. Being able to understand or justify a retaliation doesn’t change the fact that they have gotten themselves booted from a game their team needs them in. If Embiid is lucky, Adam Silver will show some discretion based on the subject matter. But it’s a matter the big man no longer has control over.

In Embiid’s mind, the trade-off is worth it. He was defiant as he left the locker room on Saturday, urging the media to share the story in response to pleas for secrecy from security and a stray player or two. Less consequential dust-ups have served as motivational tools for locker rooms before, galvanizing players to unite in the face of whoever they view as a common enemy. Perhaps that will be the case here, too.

The thing that has made Embiid’s rollercoaster run in Philly feel so special is that level of humanity. It’s there in the social media trolling, the DX chops, and his tears after the Kawhi Leonard shot. It shows up in his admiration of Tyrese Maxey, his reverence for his son, and the bond he feels with Philadelphia, of course.

This bit of emotion, though, creates a level of fallout that is hard to estimate at this stage. The family man in me admires that Embiid puts them over everything and that the consequences are secondary to defending those he loves. The reporter simply wonders if one split-second decision pushes this team closer to the doom they’re already sliding toward. If that’s the case, the righteousness of standing up for his kin won’t be celebrated for long.

xavier mcdaniel

The Juggler said:

Marcus Hayes is trash and always has been. I wish Jo actually did punch him out lol.

For perspective from a real reporter who covers the team, read this:

In a moment that could define a season, Joel Embiid's humanity was on display

KYLE NEUBECK

NOVEMBER 3, 2024

Nov 2, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Injured Philadelphia 76ers Paul George (R) and Joel Embiid (L) look on during the first quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Joel Embiid, as you might have heard, has a problem with Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes.

The gist of that problem, as Embiid laid clear on Saturday night, was the lede of a recent column Hayes wrote that has since been edited/retracted. Here is that passage in its initial form:

Joel Embiid consistently points to the birth of his son, Arthur, as the major inflection point in his basketball career. He often says that he wants to be great to leave a legacy for the boy named after his little brother, who tragically died in an automobile accident when Embiid was in his first year as a 76er.

Well, in order to be great at your job, you first have to show up for work. Embiid has been great at just the opposite. Now in his 11th season, he consistently has been in poor condition. This poor conditioning apparently seems to have delayed his debut this season. Embiid won’t play in Wednesday’s opener or the next two games.

Marcus Hayes, Philadelphia Inquirer

Embiid fired his warning shot at Hayes on Friday, during his first media appearance in weeks, calling Hayes’ writing “bullshit” while referring to him as “Marcus what’s his name” in a long, pointed response. Saturday evening, Embiid was face-to-face with his new enemy moments after the Embiid-less Sixers had completed their loss to the Grizzlies.

By the time reporters got to the locker room, Embiid was already ready to let it rip. With Hayes in front of him and a decent-sized contingent of reporters, PR, security, and teammates nearby, Embiid rose from his seat at his corner locker. Just before Tyrese Maxey could begin a postgame media session at his locker, the big man began lighting into Hayes in person.

In no uncertain terms, Embiid told Hayes he could accept anything he wanted to call him as a player, and that Hayes could criticize him for anything he wanted to when it came to his play on the floor. But when it came to his late brother and his son, that was a different story.

“The next time you bring up my dead brother and my son again,” Embiid said, “you are going to see what I’m going to do to you.”

The two carried on for what seemed like two minutes or so, with Embiid rejecting an apology from Hayes because it wasn’t, “the fucking first time,” Hayes had run afoul of him. When Hayes pointed out that this portion of his article had been removed after initial blowback, Embiid scoffed at the notion, saying it did not matter as it never should have been there in the first place.

After some more back-and-forth, Embiid shoved Hayes in the shoulder, at which point a team security and PR contingent that was already close by stepped in to put a stop to things. All parties were whisked in different directions — Embiid to the back, Hayes to the center of the locker room, and Maxey to the hallway, where reporters were briefly expected to ask him a few questions about the game (lol).

Marcus Hayes and I have very different jobs at very different companies. But this is an example of why I have a rule that is effectively, “People’s personal lives are mostly irrelevant to my job.”

There have been limitless opportunities to feel otherwise since I started on this beat. But as a general rule, I don’t care about whether James Harden is in Las Vegas between games; I do not care if Ben Simmons is dating one of the Kardashian/Jenner clan; I do not care about Jared McCain’s TikToks, Matisse Thybulle’s vlogs, or Paul Reed’s sweatshirt business. Allen Iverson won an NBA MVP while singlehandedly keeping the Cityline Ave. TGI Fridays in business. I care about the lives of players insofar as their habits inform their productivity, but your obligation as I see it is what takes place for those 48 minutes between the lines.

If you do want to detour through personal lives, Embiid has not been shy about reminding people about the importance of his family. And it’s important to reckon with why he’d react in such a way to a random newspaper column beyond noticing he lost a close family member.

His late brother, Arthur, is the namesake of Embiid’s young son for good reason. Arthur’s passing in 2014 was a source of great strife for Embiid, who was close with his younger sibling throughout their lives. When he got the news, the older brother was in Philadelphia by himself, rehabbing from his first foot surgery, only able to return home for a brief period for the funeral. After he returned from Cameroon following the funeral, Embiid has gone as far as to say that he felt he lost his purpose in life, and that he considered quitting the sport entirely while he dealt with this grief during a low moment of his pro career.

On Friday, many mocked an idea Embiid had verbalized, that he had “done way too much” for Philadelphia to take the sort of criticism he had from Hayes. Arthur was a perfect example of what that means in practice. Embiid’s younger brother visited the U.S. shortly after he was drafted by the Sixers, but the two brothers never got to see one another, with Joel on the West Coast post-surgery and Arthur staying with family on the East Coast. The brothers assumed they’d have a chance to meet up and spend time together soon after, but when Arthur passed away later that year, it had been over three years since they’d been able to see each other in person.

That feeling of regret, an absence and a distance that can never be made up for, is part of what it means when Embiid says he has sacrificed for the team and the city he represents. His brother represents a connection to a childhood Embiid didn’t get to finish where he was raised, the representation of the cost that was paid to come to America in the hope that he’d make something of himself.

These anecdotes are part of the public record. They’ve been said by Joel, at times even written by Joel, offered as a window into his mind and soul. Invoking Arthur’s name is not an attempt to fairly or honestly assess why or how Embiid isn’t currently on a basketball floor, it’s just the quickest, most effective way to jab him. It is only effective because it is so cheap, a vulnerability Embiid offered about himself used to bludgeon him. So the majority of people understand Embiid drawing a hard line on family, even if it has messy results.

There is one bit of gray for me — just as he has an obligation to his loved ones, Embiid has an obligation to his teammates. Whether you can understand the inclination or not, Embiid has put himself at risk for punishment that could impact a Sixers season already off to a brutal start. They are drowning without him, and as a result of a fight they have nothing to do with, his teammates may be forced to continue flailing aimlessly.

Strip away the particulars and it’s not entirely different than how we’d think about a star player getting thrown out of an important game for a gratuitous flagrant or double tech. Being able to understand or justify a retaliation doesn’t change the fact that they have gotten themselves booted from a game their team needs them in. If Embiid is lucky, Adam Silver will show some discretion based on the subject matter. But it’s a matter the big man no longer has control over.

In Embiid’s mind, the trade-off is worth it. He was defiant as he left the locker room on Saturday, urging the media to share the story in response to pleas for secrecy from security and a stray player or two. Less consequential dust-ups have served as motivational tools for locker rooms before, galvanizing players to unite in the face of whoever they view as a common enemy. Perhaps that will be the case here, too.

The thing that has made Embiid’s rollercoaster run in Philly feel so special is that level of humanity. It’s there in the social media trolling, the DX chops, and his tears after the Kawhi Leonard shot. It shows up in his admiration of Tyrese Maxey, his reverence for his son, and the bond he feels with Philadelphia, of course.

This bit of emotion, though, creates a level of fallout that is hard to estimate at this stage. The family man in me admires that Embiid puts them over everything and that the consequences are secondary to defending those he loves. The reporter simply wonders if one split-second decision pushes this team closer to the doom they’re already sliding toward. If that’s the case, the righteousness of standing up for his kin won’t be celebrated for long.

I've seen him around over the years when the Phillies came to New York, can't say I've read any articles of his but didn't seem like the other Philadelphia media interacted with him a lot from what I can tell. Thanks for posting this, this was very well-done.

Poncier

The Juggler said:

In a moment that could define a season, Joel Embiid's humanity was on display

KYLE NEUBECK

NOVEMBER 3, 2024

Marcus Hayes and I have very different jobs at very different companies. But this is an example of why I have a rule that is effectively, “People’s personal lives are mostly irrelevant to my job.”

There have been limitless opportunities to feel otherwise since I started on this beat. But as a general rule, I don’t care about whether James Harden is in Las Vegas between games; I do not care if Ben Simmons is dating one of the Kardashian/Jenner clan; I do not care about Jared McCain’s TikToks, Matisse Thybulle’s vlogs, or Paul Reed’s sweatshirt business. Allen Iverson won an NBA MVP while singlehandedly keeping the Cityline Ave. TGI Fridays in business. I care about the lives of players insofar as their habits inform their productivity, but your obligation as I see it is what takes place for those 48 minutes between the lines.

I love how the writer (Neubeck) says people's personal lives are irrelevant to his job then proceeds to add a paragraph listing personal life items about 6 players.

Johnny Abruzzo

This team consistently has more drama than any Kardashian reality show can conjure up. JFC

Wobbie

oh well, he wasn’t playing anyway.

eeriepadave

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/42215682/joel-embiid-suspended-3-games-shoving-media-member

Poncier

You guys' secret plan to go all in for Cooper Flagg is starting to become obvious now.

The Juggler

Poncier said:

You guys' secret plan to go all in for Cooper Flagg is starting to become obvious now.

I'd rather be missing guys and 1-6 than healthy and 1-6 like the Bucks though lol

Luckily the East is mostly off to a slow start. 

Poncier

Wobbie

Poncier said:

bucks got the gift of the jazz tonight.

fuck danny ainge.

xavier mcdaniel

Wobbie said:

Poncier said:

bucks got the gift of the jazz tonight.

fuck danny ainge.

Milwaukee was horrific last night against the Knicks, especially when they put Brook Lopez on Towns.