The marriage of the Philadelphia 76ers and Joel Embiid has been an unsuccessful one to start. Since drafting the Kansas star with the third overall pick in 2014, the Sixers have yet to see him on the court in a regular season game. With a recurring foot injury having kept the center from showing his talents, it is safe to say the risk to draft him has not panned out, yet. The Sixers have managed to sell their fanbase, however, on a bright future that includes Embiid in some shape or form; however, that may not be even close to happening.
According to Brian Geltzeiler of Sports Illustrated, Embiid has repeatedly shown apathy and insubordination to the Sixers organization, something that has caused them ‘anxiety.’ There have been numerous problems stemming from Embiid’s lack of professionalism that will surely turn heads.
Last season, Embiid was sent home from a road trip, though the reason for that was unknown. According to the SI article, the decision was made after Embiid physically threatened a strength coach, the most serious of his bevy of infringements. A continued trend during his rehabilitation process was his lack of focus and insubordination to what team trainers asked him to do:
The simple task of getting Embiid to consistently wear his walking boot was a challenge for the franchise, and multiple sources suggested that some people in Philadelphia’s front office wonder whether a second surgery would have been necessary if Embiid had worn the boot as much as he was told to. […] While Embiid was in Vegas, he was mandated to wear the walking boot in advance of the second surgery, but Embiid not only refused to wear the boot, but he carried himself as if nothing was wrong with the foot, shooting jumpers and even occasionally dunking. These actions have given rise to the theory that Embiid actually re-broke his foot, rather than the initial injury not healing properly. It also led to Embiid having the surgery a month later than the club originally had hoped.
That Embiid may have prolonged his rehab or even further damaged his foot is a sign of his apathy towards his profession. It seems as though Embiid has had no intention of getting back healthy to help his team, instead choosing to take the easy way out. This lack of focus extended beyond simply wearing a walking boot, as well:
This type of disregard for instruction also extends to Embiid’s dietary habits. Per a source, the Sixers’ training staff was so concerned about what he was eating, they stocked the refrigerator in his downtown hotel residence each week with healthy food. When a staffer went to restock the fridge each week, most everything was uneaten and unopened, and they were throwing out the fruits and vegetables every week. When the team subsequently asked to see Embiid’s room service bill, they found that most days he was ordering junk food along with his signature beverage, a pitcher of Shirley Temples. Embiid also was frequently seen feasting on chicken fingers and hot dogs at and after games.
NBA athletes have to take immense care of their bodies to have a sliver of success in the league. So far, Embiid seems to have proven that he lacks the drive to do just that. If he does not turn that around, he will almost certainly end his career as a bust, and his ability to play even a single game in the NBA may be in jeopardy. With the Sixers’ crowded frontcourt, which includes Jahlil Okafor, Nerlens Noel, and (eventually) Dario Saric, many believed that Embiid could be used as trade bait for Philadelphia. However, with these reports coming out, it is hard to believe that any team would take the risk of adding him to their locker room.
