The Philadelphia 76ers went into Tuesday, Nov. 12 begining the first half of the season’s first back-to-back. Following the team’s loss to the Knicks that night, Joel Embiid was asked about whether or not he expects to play in the second half of the two-game set, Embiid replied “I know I said I’d never play back-to-backs but I’m a troll.”
Embiid is referring to a piece dropped on ESPN before the season by Sixers beat reporter Tim Bontemps, in which the Sixers’ star told Bontemps, “If I had to guess, I would probably never play back-to-backs the rest of my career.” Now, just one month later, and the story, from Embiid, has changed.
The return of Troel is not a shocking development, that’s who Joel is when you get down to it.
Still, the decision to put that type of an idea, that he would never play in a back-to-back again, and then walk it back citing troll tendencies is objectively unwise. Embiid is an adult, he may do as he likes, but actions have consequences. One of the consequences being the immense frustration the fanbase has felt as of a result of this trolling. Joel has certainly brought many happy memories to the people of Philadelphia, however that does not absolve I’m of the negative memories he has overseen.
As Joel continues to work his way back after rehabbing his knee throughout the summer, the last thing that either the fanbase, or himself, needs is added drama. While it would be a surprise to see Embiid take the court in the second night of a back-to-back, considering the team’s poor start to the season and the NBA already investigating the absence of Embiid, you can never quite rule out the possibility of him playing.
