Normally, I wouldn’t call for a fanbase to boo its own player.
But this is Joel Embiid we’re talking about here.
The Philadelphia 76ers star thrives on being the bad guy, especially on social media, where he’s been known to troll opponents, even if he lost a game. And in the past week, he’s become the bad guy for Sixers fans, especially after he posted a quote about becoming the villain, which blew up Instagram when Jimmy Butler sent a very obvious recruiting attempt in the comments section.
So when he was introduced to the Philly crowd Tuesday night, he was booed, and then waved on fans after score and a foul early in the game:
After the game — a win over the Clippers in which he had 26 points, nine rebounds and a steal — he posted a photo with the caption “BROTHERLY LOVE” on it:
It’s clear to me he wants more of this, and part of getting back to being the old Embiid is by stirring up the pot. Via ESPN:
“Like I said after last game, I’m back to doing whatever I want and saying whatever I want. That’s how I used to be, and you know, I was dominating that way. This year I made a decision to change, and I guess it hasn’t worked out, so it comes with the good and bad.
Maybe getting booed feeds him in that way. So keep it up, Sixers Nation.
