Joel Embiid: Between Crazy Performances and Controversial Gestures

It is not only in France that Joel Embiid is building enmities. If in France, his decision to play for the United States rather than join the Blues had had difficulty going through, the disclosure, by RMC, of ​​the letter he would have sent to Emmanuel Macron to request nationality French in 2017, put a part back in the machine. Across the Atlantic too, the pivot is starting to make quite a list of enemies. This is because his attitude during the first round of the Playoffs between Philadelphia and New York often places him in the category of incidents, and sometimes very bad gestures.

The Internet is not very forgiving and when a Joel Embiid on the ground grabbed Mitchell Robinson’s calf to prevent him from going up for the dunk, at the risk of injuring him (which he “succeeded” in doing), some people said recalled that the Sixers pivot had to his credit a long list of low blows, gestures which appear poorly controlled in the eyes of his fans and frankly voluntary in the eyes of others. Robinson, and even Jalen Brunson in Game 4 added their names alongside Grant Williams, Jaylen Brown, John Collins, Marcus Smart, Giannis Antetokounmpo and others… The reminder is as cruel as it is indisputable.

Mocked for her tears

How can we explain then that until now, and without saying that number 33 from Philadelphia enjoyed an immaculate image, he easily passed for a decent player, sometimes guilty of losing his nerve? Joel Embiid is this technical pivot who must fight with a fragile body which forced him to miss his first two NBA seasons, this talented kid who came late to basketball, this MVP of last season who is trying year after year to lead his Sixers to the title.

He was mocked for his tears after a Game 7 that saw Kawhi Leonard crucify him for the Toronto Raptors in 2019. Embiid was in the photo but on the wrong side of glory, as always, but when a star like him cracks the shell, he is rarely criticized for that. We sometimes wondered if he had what it took – in the head, not in the hands – to make it to the end of the NBA Playoffs, his nemesis. And since he is the main opposing threat, certain audiences like to dislike him, like the one in New York who makes a lot of noise for (or rather against) him at Madison Square Garden, as in Philadelphia, which annoyed the star quite a bit, outside even at home.

Between crazy performance and bad gestures

Annoyance is a theme that comes up more and more for Joel Embiid, never the last to complain on the field, nor to accentuate certain shocks to get whistles, a very common sport among NBA stars. His tragedy is to face the Knicks who have the characteristics of the favorite team, when his has disappointed so much in different forms, and with him as a common thread, that yet another road trip would please the team more. majority than the opposite. Facing New York, and with the media influence of the Big Apple, everything is seen through a magnifying mirror.

Thus, even his way of responding to journalists, head down or with sunglasses, was analyzed. He had to respond that he suffered from facial paralysis, explaining that it was accompanied by migraines and affected his left side. An admission he made after scoring 50 points in a crazy performance (in just 19 shots) to get his team, who had let the first two matches slip away, back on track. Since Sunday, the Sixers are down 3-1 in their first round series and Tuesday night’s duel will be a “life and death” match for them.

Joel Embiid had however promised, after match 2, that his team would qualify four victories to two despite refereeing decisions to the contrary. Playing the victim of a conspiracy, he had dared to make such an announcement, which is always perilous but the man with triple nationality does not shy away from much to the point of sometimes using methods that may displease. He didn’t keep his promise this time and his opponents will remind him sooner or later.

2024-04-29 22:04:00
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