Joel Embiid has one of the most magnetic personalities in the NBA. He has a great sense of humor and a flair for the dramatic. After the Ben Simmons saga in Philadelphia, Embiid posted a photo on his Twitter account, which presumably signified that he wanted to see Simmons off for good. There have also been a handful of funny interviews where Embiid has given witty answers that make fans and media members laugh.
Despite the jovial side Embiid shares in a postgame press conference that delights those responsible for NBA coverage, he brings an intensity and tenacity to the court that is evident from tip-off. He is a rare player in the sense that he does not just enjoy winning games; he also likes to completely dominate and frustrate opponents as well.
Over the years, he has taken a liking to make life difficult for opposing centers such as Karl-Anthony Towns, Hassan Whiteside, and Andre Drummond. Having the mental edge, as well as the physical edge is important for Embiid, who is having a tremendous season. He is putting up MVP caliber numbers this year and is among a shortlist of players who could bring home the award. It will also be fascinating to see how he meshes with James Harden, and if that pairing proves to be better than the one he had with Ben Simmons.
Where did Joel Embiid grow up?
Joel Hans Embiid was born in Cameroon to parents Thomas Embiid and Christine Embiid. While a lot of future NBA stars have childhood stories that involve great bloodlines athletically or a regimented schedule that allowed them to play sports a lot, Embiid’s upbringing was very different. His parents were primarily focused on their son getting a good education, and excelling in the classroom. In a Players Tribune piece, Embiid said his mom would keep a close eye on him after he came home from school to make sure he was studying and doing his homework.
While his nurturing as a kid was geared for purely educational purposes, Embiid still had the same type of dreams and stories many children do who hope for a little bit more freedom. He would have a system where he would sneak out to the local soccer field before his mom came home, and rush back to the house as she arrived. She thought he had been in the kitchen the entire time engulfed in his studies, while he had been exploring some of his athletic pursuits.
Basketball was not really on the radar for the future 76ers star in Cameroon. Embiid did partake in soccer, and his father was particularly interested in having his son play volleyball if he was going to pursue an athletic future. Thomas Embiid did not see basketball being played in Cameroon, and despite his son’s rapidly growing frame, was not in a position to predict a future where his son would have the chance to develop. It was a reasonable conclusion to come to considering the sports landscape in the country. The young Embiid developed his skills as a volleyball player and only started playing basketball when he was 15 years old. As one might imagine, while Embiid had the height to be a factor, his skills were extremely raw and undeveloped since he started playing at a relatively late age.
Joel Embiid – His Big Break
It was just a lot for him to take in all at once, but fortunately, he had fellow countrymen who believed in what Embiid could do in the future. Former NBA player Luc Richard Mbah a Moute took notice of the lanky teenager and invited him to a basketball camp he ran in Cameroon.
In prior stories, Embiid said that Mbah a Moute likely only gave him a chance because of his height, and that may have been true. However, he showed flashes of dominant athletic play, finishing over and through players at the rim. This was enough to qualify Embiid for the Basketball Without Borders clinic in South Africa. It was these series of swift but impactful events that gave him the start he needed in his basketball journey, and he never looked back.
Joel Embiid – High School Years
Attending high school with the idea of playing on a basketball team probably seemed like an impossibility for most of Embiid’s life. However, with his stock precipitously on the rise, he made the trip to the United States that summer and found himself playing for Monteverde Academy in Florida. His time there did not get off to a great start, and his lack of understanding and muscle memory for playing the game was evident.
The coaches at Monteverde could not elevate him to the varsity team right away due to this lack of awareness. However, with some fine-tuning and coaching, Embiid became polished enough to play for the varsity squad at Monteverde. Interestingly enough, his future teammate with the 76ers, Ben Simmons, would also end up playing high school basketball for Monteverde.
Joel Embiid – Ascension To Premier Prospect
However, by the time Simmons arrived, Embiid had transferred to The Rock School to round out his high school career. He became a true force during his senior year there, receiving much more playing time as he led the team to a state championship. He also became the apple of many college programs’ eyes, as he shot up ESPN’s rankings for high school basketball players. Embiid finished as the number six recruit in the nation, which was remarkable considering how new he still was to the game.
Joel Embiid – College Breakout
As the incredible story continued to develop, Embiid literally had his pick of elite college basketball programs to choose from. As someone who was still getting caught up with the United States basketball scene, he did not know how to distinguish between the different schools that were offering him a scholarship. As such, he needed a little advice from someone he trusted and would end up bouncing things off of Mbah a Moute before he made a final decision. While Mbah a Moute had a solid college career at UCLA, who did end up offering Embiid a scholarship, he steered the young man in the direction of the University of Kansas.
Sports reference has a running log of statistics for all college basketball players, and Embiid’s game logs for his one season with the Jayhawks tell a pretty interesting story. In his 28 games played, he ended up starting 20 of them, which shows that the program was not quite ready to hand over the keys to him from day one. However, his game log on sports reference LLC does provide a glimpse into the tantalizing promise he showed on campus. He recorded a game against UTEP in the non-conference part of the schedule where he had seven blocks. Embiid outdid himself in a Big 12 matchup against Oklahoma State, where he swatted eight shots away. For the season, he averaged 11.2 points per game and just over eight rebounds per game.
Joel Embiid – Trust The Process
Unfortunately, the stress fracture in his back would not be the only ailment Embiid would suffer in 2014. He declared for the NBA draft while recovering from that injury, but had even worse luck in the days leading up to the night when his life would change forever. He suffered another stress fracture, this time in his foot, and questions began to swirl about how far the phenom would fall given some legitimate injury questions. As it turned out, he did not end up having to wait to hear his name called for very long. The Philadelphia 76ers selected him with the third overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. They were extremely patient with their rebuild, and selected players who were not always immediate contributors, but had a high upside.
In the case of Embiid, Philadelphia fans really had to wait a long time before seeing him play in NBA games. He missed his entire rookie season recovering from the foot injury. Things went from bad to worse, and it turned out the center needed a second surgery on his foot to help overcome a setback in his recuperation. This cost him another season, and it was fair to wonder whether Embiid was going to be on a depressing Greg Oden-like career trajectory; one full of injuries and what if’s.
Joel Embiid – Coming Into His Own
It took a long time, but Embiid eventually did make it onto the court. For professional basketball, basketball reference is the encyclopedia of game logs(not sports reference LLC), and that site confirms his NBA debut took place on October 26, 2016, against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He started with quite a bang, scoring 20 points while shooting seven of eight from the free-throw line. He would only suit up for 31 games that year but still finished third in the NBA Rookie of The Year award voting. While Embiid hasn’t quite been as healthy as 76ers fans probably would like throughout his career, there’s no doubt that he’s one of the premier players in the game.
Even as he’s dodged other ailments, the production he’s put up cannot be denied. He’s 25.5 points per game scorer for his career, to go along with 11.3 rebounds per game. He’s also chipped in 1.7 blocks per contest. Whether Joel or Ben thought they were the leader of the 76ers the past few years has been irrelevant to the type of production the former Kansas star brings each and every night.
Joel Embiid – Philadelphia 76ers
As impressive as Embiid has been over the last several years, there’s an argument to be made that he’s never had a better season than the one he’s having right now. Considering what the franchise has had to deal with in regards to the Simmons saga, not to mention not having someone of Simmons’ caliber on the court, Embiid has had to shoulder the majority of the load. He hasn’t skipped a beat, averaging a career-high in points per game, free throws attempted, and assists per night.
Philadelphia finally turned the page on the Simmons era during the NBA trade deadline, sending him, Seth Curry, and Andre Drummond to the Brooklyn Nets for James Harden and Paul Millsap. Draft picks were also exchanged in the transaction. Perhaps the most exciting storyline for the remainder of the NBA season will be how Harden and Embiid play together heading into the playoffs. It will also be interesting to see how Ben Simmons and Kevin Durant play together in Brooklyn.
Joel Embiid – NBA Future
Luckily for Sixers fans and Embiid himself, it appears as if the center has gotten past the injury woes that forced him to miss a significant amount of game action. The 27-year-old is right in the middle of his NBA prime, and he may never have a better chance to win an NBA championship than this season. Even as he continues to age, he should remain very valuable due to his ability to shoot from long range.
Who played with Joel embiid in college?
However, he would not have an opportunity to showcase his talents on the biggest stage in the NCAA tournament. Embiid suffered a stress fracture in his back in early March, so the Jayhawks had to play without him, and rely on the talents of fellow future NBA player Andrew Wiggins.
