The Sixers held a team meeting on Monday night following a loss to Miami. About 12 hours later, details of that meeting – including the fact that Tyrese Maxey called out teammate and friend Joel Embiid – had been published by ESPN. Embiid wasn’t happy about the fact that someone in the team’s locker room turned around and immediately leaked details of those discussions to the media.
“Whoever leaked that is a real piece of s–t,” Embiid said on Wednesday, per Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
“We talked about a lot of things (during the meeting),” Embiid continued. “I don’t want to get into the details, but that whole thing (with Maxey) probably took 30 seconds. But then again, it’s Joel Embiid, so we’ve got to make everything blown out of proportion. It’s whatever. I’ll take it all. I’m the reason for everything, so I’ll take the blame for everything.”
Maxey reportedly challenged Embiid to be on time for team activities and functions, suggesting that the star center’s tendency to be late “for everything” set a bad example for the rest of the club. Embiid’s comments on Wednesday were a response to a reporter’s question about his friendship with Maxey and their willingness to hold each other accountable.
“That’s the relationship we have — nothing malicious,” Embiid said, according to Mizell. “I like when people are telling me what I’m not doing good, what I need to do better. Even though that part (the tardiness) maybe happened once or twice, when I wasn’t playing. … So I need to be better. I need to be perfect. I need to be on point, which I’m going to do. Which I’ve always done.”
After their 2-11 start, the Sixers had their full “big three” – Embiid, Maxey, and Paul George – available for Wednesday’s game vs. Memphis. Embiid also had his best outing of the season so far, pouring in 35 points and grabbing 11 rebounds as he continues to round into his usual All-NBA form following an early-season injury absence.
However, Philadelphia lost for a fifth time in a row and the 10th time in its last 11 games to fall to 2-12. To make matters worse, George exited early due to a knee injury. According to Embiid, the Sixers were able to implement some of the on-court adjustments they discussed in Monday’s meeting, but still aren’t playing like they want to be.
“We talked about a bunch of stuff (in the meeting),” Embiid said. “At times, we executed what we talked about, and at times, we didn’t. Right now, we don’t have a lot of margin for error, so we need to be perfect in everything we do on both ends of the floor.”
Ladies and gentlemen, your 2023 NBA MVP
Awwww, poor lil Joel.
Embiid is softer than the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.
You’re even softer then.
Might as well just tank and reload for next season. Embiid season ending injury coming soon.
He’s already day-to-day from a bruised ego
Kyle Lowry set the meeting.
Kyle Lowry leaked the details of said meeting.
Anyone familiar with the Streisand effect?
nunzio1749 imagine being so insecure about your skills everyone has to bow to you if i was Maxey I’d be demanding a trade to somewhere i can win
At least he accepts his share of blame…
But seriously, if this dude has been regularly showing up late, why did it take a dozen plus games into a lost season (so far) for someone to call him out?
I guess they were all just trusting the process until now..?
The Process is dead, long live the Process.
Every year we have to hear about how amazing the Sixers will be. Every year they reload and fail miserably. The Sixers never learn.
Where is Hinkie now?
Reminds me of the Warriors and Draymond punching Poole. Pointing to the leak being the problem instead of the substance of the meeting is deflection.
76ers are entering the beginning phase where other teams smell blood and don’t want to be looked at as the team who let them off the hook. Much like Detroit last year. Philly is going to get each teams best effort unless they can will themselves out of the losing. And I know if the 76ers are getting high effort resistance every night they play, Embiid won’t want to deal with it and take himself out for the season very soon.
trust the PROCESSED CHEESE to give you gas