A Hall of Fame college basketball coach who also keeps track of happenings in the NBA, Bill Self figures to watch at least some of the Philadelphia 76ers-Boston Celtics game on Christmas Day.
The Sixers boast one of the best young players in the league in 7-foot, 250-pound former Kansas center Joel Embiid, while ex-Jayhawk forward Marcus Morris plays for the Celtics.
The nationally televised (ABC) holiday clash tips off at 4:30 p.m. Central time.
"He is the future," 16th-year KU coach Self said recently of Embiid. "He's a 5-man that can play the 4, the 3, stretch the floor. He's the best passer _ not on the team _ but probably the second-best passer behind Ben (Simmons). I see him as kind of being probably the best of all the requirements you can have with a 5, skilled but also with the size and strength to play close to the basket."
Embiid, a 24-year-old native of Cameroon, remains a huge KU supporter.
Last year, the Sixers, to Embiid's delight, practiced at KU's Allen Fieldhouse the day before an exhibition game at the Sprint Center.
This year, Embiid, who is in his fifth year in the NBA, attended the Jayhawks' Champions Classic game against Michigan State in Indianapolis. He spoke to the team and coaches after KU's 92-87 victory over the Spartans.
"He said he really missed Kansas his first two years in the league. Now he's used to the NBA lifestyle and doesn't miss it quite as much," KU assistant coach Kurtis Townsend said on Bill Self's Hawk Talk radio show.
Self had a question for Embiid outside KU's locker room in Indy.
"Coach said, 'You average 28 (points) a game. Why don't you post up a little more and average 32?' Joel, like when he was here, he said, 'Coach, I score the most on post-ups of anybody in the league. You can check the stats.' He had reasons for why he has to take so many 3s. That they need him to shoot 'em," Townsend said.
Speaking to Yahoo Sports on Saturday, Embiid claimed he doesn't like putting up long-distance shots.
He says he shoots 3s "because of the spacing that we have, and sometimes I have to take them. I have to be on the perimeter, just getting guys open, because of all the attention that sometimes it seems (is) presented to me."
Embiid, who has averaged 26.4 points, 13.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists in the first 33 games this season (35 of 127 from 3-point range), always seems to be in the news, sometimes because of entertaining Twitter posts or interviews.
He was touched that the Sixers crowd gave his father a standing ovation when his dad was introduced during a timeout at a recent home game.
"Philly fans, they're so passionate and they show a lot of love," Embiid told reporters. "You know every time they show my dad is at the game they always show him a lot of love, so I really appreciated that. You know he retired today from the (Cameroon) army and that's a big accomplishment and yesterday was his birthday, so I really appreciate all the love."
Embiid, who didn't play in a game his first two years in the NBA while recovering from surgeries, helped make popular the phrase "Trust the Process," as the Sixers were rebuilding early in his tenure.
Members of the Philly front office and Embiid, who is being paid $25,467,250 this season, are both trying to obtain the trademark for the slogan.
According to clutchpoints.com, Embiid has filed eight new trademark applications for "Trust the Process." The Sixers' front office has also filed a "Trust the Process" trademark application.
Twenty-nine-year-old Marcus Morris, by the way, has averaged 14.9 points and 6.2 boards in 28 games for the Celtics this season.
