Inside The Process | Behind the Scenes With Joel Embiid

Where does greatness come from? How do you uncover it, nurture it, grow it become great. For some, greatness comes from a path you've charted for yourself. For others, the path binds you. Greatness could be born in the shadow of a big city, the world away, to be considered among the greats. That anything is a feat in and of itself. This is a kid that in the freshman class is the best post guy in this year's freshman group to be recognized as the greatest. Those are some

mighty long odds right now. As hard as it might be to define greatness, we know it when we see it. Joel Ebid is having a season for the Ages, a career high fifty point. He's generational these hours, and he's making a serious run for MVP. Shoot the three that good. Over time, Joel a bead has tied the game before all Joel Embiad's powers. Don't underestimate what he does when the bright lights aren't shining. I'm Julius Irving. Let's go

inside the process. Let's start in cameraon. There was never supposed to be a basketball story, at least not in the beginning. Maybe some other sport, but basketball, No, that wasn't part of the plan. He took a while from the the start because that's something of you know, wanted to do for a while, for you know, two or

three years, but my dad just wasn't into it. He just wanted me to you know, play every sports, saying mainly volleyball because you know, I was super tall and I had a lot of potential enough to go pro at least according to Joel. This is Luke and Bob Mute who is credited with discovering Joel. I heard about him who you know, one of the coaches that you know,

I worked with in my camp. So he's told me about Joel because you know, Joe playing volleyball, and he was just like, well, he just started playing basketball, and I think, you know, he definitely should come to the camp. He definitely should see him when you come down. So I was looking forward to like seeing him because tearing from him, and you know, he's somebody who coached me and trained me, so he has a eyeful talent and

my generation and a lot of talented players. So I hearing him rap about Joel and potential, I was very eager to, like, you know, really see Joel on the court and see what he could do. So and I was I wasn't disappointing. Joe remembers his father Thomas, dabbling in sports him self. Joel took notice. You know, growing up, my dad was in the army. He's a corner and the army, but he also played sports and he played handball and he was one of the best in his sports.

So I used to go watch him. You know, he was tough and people were afraid of him, and he was really good. So I always looked at it in the way that, oh, I want to be better than him. So anything that I do nowadays is also because I'm like got something My dad, like I saw I dominant. It was he in his sports. I want to be better than him. Joe might do some things that seem super human, but in a fundamental way, he learns the same way most of us do. If he sees something,

it typically sticks. And in the summer of two ten, his eyes and mine were fixed on the round ball. I don't have like an actual memory. The first time I actually remember just watching it and actually paying attention to it was the finals. You know, Lakers saw takes. That's how Kobe became my favorite players the two times of the time ending any champions So that was the first time I, you know, I watched and I kind

of saw, you know, what basketball was about. I was just telling myself that's that seemed interesting, especially because at the time I was playing you know, soccer, volleyball, you know, a bunch of other sports. Uh So, you know, I just said, he just seemed interesting. Joe just needed to convince his father to let him play once again. Luke

and Bob Day. It's just one of those things where you know, Head was a handball player, his uncle was a volleyball player, so naturally you go towards the sports that you know and understands his dad knew volleyball because he being around his uncle who played volleyball ball, he knew what that was like, but he never really had any experience of basketball, so he didn't know really what

to expect for kid who was playing basketball. Here in the States, your sixteenth birthday usually means what you get the chance to learn to drive right, well, in Cameroon, it means Joel and b was able to get his hands on a basketball. You over two camps back to camera.

The camp was in Yawn Day at the arena. Their two indoor courts and outdoor court, two outdoor courts, so pretty simple, pretty basic camp, you know, just really you know, trying to bring and help his kids for the game you know in Cameroon and give back to the community that helped me. And Joel was obviously part of the camp,

one of the campers. You know, it was starting to pick up where like a lot of kids now knew that we were having a camp and that at the end of the camp we were kidding the five best players to go to South Africa for the NBA Basketball Without Borders, So probably that yeah, it was like, yeah,

where we had the most talented. There was a lot of talented kids, and Joel stood out obviously, you know, from being you know, one of the tallest, but definitely from being like, you know, one of the guys with the most potential. He probably wasn't the best player at the camp, but like, even if he didn't have from talent, jumped out. I leave that this kid was great. So he already had good foot work and his ability to like grow and just like seeing stuff like it's just flashes.

It was. You always see flashes at him and like wow, like how did he do that? And I think I remember one time I had asked one of the coaches, like, yo, you just said this kids, he's been playing for six months and he was like, yeah, only six months. That just to tell you how how impressive he was one he's doing now and it's just a continuity of like how special he's been since ever since he picked up

the basketball. I started playing at six years old. From there, my coaching Cameroon, from the first time, you know, we started walking together, which was very short, it was for five months and we walked together. Bud. He played a huge role in you know what I became. It's clear what Joe has become, But how did he get to

this point, let alone get there this fast. He's now at the peak of his powers, but let's not forget he was doing some pretty remarkable stuff going back to his first year in the league and me A Wednesday presented by State Farm, Day two of our double header comes to you live from State Will Center in Los Angeles, where many of the NBA's putting young stars take center stage out of the Hollywood Lights. There was one particular game early in Joel's career that still blows up as

one of his finance performances. As the Los Angeles Lakers walcome to Philadelphia seventy six ers November fifteen, twenty seventeen against the Lakers at Staples Center. It was a forty six point, fifteen rebound, seven assist, seven block epic and beat from Deep Smokes, then mbat from Simmons and mb now with fifteen points Simmons beautiful dish to mb the three point play. This game was Joe's arrival and beat

great past Simmons with the monster stopped. Don't know what he can't do on the floor Hollywood National Television against a legacy franchise out of a foul forty one pm B look Out League and Philadelphia soon Evin Harden having the time of his life watching this As his star began to rise, the rest of the league quickly took notice. It blew me away when I first saw him play the first time back then Doc Rivers was coach LA Clippers.

You're watching in college, and I don't remember seeing all that, you know, and he didn't play much obviously, So yeah, I think he is talent and more skilled, you know, because there's a lot of players in the NBA that has all this potential athletic ability, but they're not skilled. I think Joel's skill level is what surprised everybody in our league. In one sense, Joel isn't surprising anyone anymore, no way. Game planning against him is usually a feudal pursuit.

On the other hand, he continues to amaze because he continues to get better these days. Joel isn't just wrecking guys. He's wrecking double teams, triple teams, full teams, and sometimes single handedly. So again it begs the question, how did we get here? I'm the top of god that, uh, you know, if you show me something, you know, I just need to see it once or twice and I'd be able to do it. You know, I just need to sit with my eyes and I be able to

do anything. How many times have you been in situations where you wish your brain could move that fast? It's a gift. As far back as Joel and Beet can remember, he's always been a visual learner. It just so happened his first basketball coaching camera gave him a DVD of some of the greats. All I use your arm jump hook. He's filed and rolled across the iron. He's got so many moves. Big Jim by Ewing who took it to the rack, puts it up? What's it in dirt? To

point day to find out my money? Two twenty seven. As I kept watching it was a king pat Ewing, you know, Uck was in the team Duncan. As I kept watching, you know, I just like a Kim Mole because he just felt like the way he moved on the basketball court like he just felt like he was dancing, like he was hot, Like he was just fun to watch. Rebounds around that brow line. There's a dream shaw Ye, hey man, what do we have? We gone back about five the way he shook his body, the way he moved,

you know, everything it did. So that was the first one that really got into and that I really started watching and you know, trying to you know, try to kind of become like him and being spending several times they didn't finishing. Beautiful touch by Joel e Bed This is dream like footwork handling the basketball. It's a big man coming off a little screen action and then the dream shake gets to his spot. It makes you pay

the price. That's beautiful. A lot of people talking about my shooting touch and you know, and I always thought that he came from you know, the first move that I ever did. It wasn't a hook shot. It was not you know, typical big man move. It was not the dog faed away. I used to go, you know, off one leg, you know, take a dribble spin and you know, fall away off one leg, just like dog and big doing the dirt off one foot and then

he stares down the Dallas bench. As I kept doing it, I just kept getting used to it, and he just became you know, consistent. The next part of the story. You probably know Joel left Africa for the United States before his junior year in high school and attended a couple of powerhouses before landing at the University of Kansas. We were recruiting a couple of other guys off a

terrific AU basketball team out of Florida. Casey Hill, Brandon Green, Chris Walker were three studs that two of them end up going to Florida, one of them going to US and and and and we're watching and uh, uh, I'm like, who is this skinny kid that can run a little bit? And and and they never throw it to him, and he's pretty good. Bill self is the head coach of Kansas.

Joe played for the Jayhawks in two thousand and thirteen fourteen, So we look into it and and uh, you know, he attended the hottest high school in America, Mont verg And and uh he was at Mont verd and didn't play at all, you know, his junior year, not because they he wasn't good enough, probably, but just because they were loaded Luke and Bob Moute. From journal situation, we really felt like the best for him was to come

in you know, good hig school. Um, when I have a chance to you know, play and develop and obviously get recruited for college. So I went to mom Ford myself, and I knew momverg was going to be in a position to obviously help him as a student because I went there, and also you know, as a basketball because you know, I knew what what they were trying to do. So it was kind of a don't I don't want to say, no, Brander, but it was kind of like obvious choice because of the relationships that I had with

the people there. So that's why I felt confident, like, you know, send him in over there and making sure that that was a school that he was going to go to, the transition from Cameron to here, because I mean that was kind of like the path that I took as well. Bill. So the following year he went to a school in Gainesville, Florida called The Rock and he was recruited some I mean US Texas, Marquette, and Florida,

but he wasn't highly recruited like he deserved. And we made it a priority and and we we recruited him hard and other people did too, but uh, you know, we got him here. And a cute little story about him once he first gets here, because you know, back then, you know, he wasn't this big Bravado type guy. He was. He was, he was you know thin, you know, way two hundred and thirty five, two hundred and forty pounds. He was obviously very skilled, but the first practice we

had he got his but whipped. I mean just of course we had pros. I mean we had multiple pros and he gets whipped. And he came up to me afterwards he said, you're gonna have to red shirt me, aren't you? And I said, Joe, I don't think so. I think you're you're gonna You're gonna be the first pick in the draft. I just don't know if it'll be this year next year. It's kind of jarring how normal looking Joe's stats were in the surface at Kansas eleven points eight rebounds. He took five threes and made

one of them. But he was a freak. Kansas listed him at seven feet, two hundred and fifty pounds that season. It was never about numbers, it was always about potential. He had good hands, There's no question he's always had soft hands and good hands. But the but the thing that separating was his feet. I said this at a at a Hall of Fame dinner, that that my guys

footwork reminds me of Elijah One a little bit. And I had pros that played with the Lodging one at the dinner laugh at me, saying, you just have no idea how good that man was. And you know what, I probably didn't, But Joe studied a Lodja one and learned by just watching me. He was like he was a guy that could that could play a piano by by sound. I was going to a Kansas game and before I go, I'll get briefed by the staff of who the top players are. This is Daryl Morey, he

was still in Houston. Then mentioned Joel and uh and I was unlucky. I cut a game he didn't play, unfortunately, so I didn't I didn't actually see him live at Kansas. Every time NBA people came to our practice, I always did an individual improvement with Joe after practice so he could show off the things he didn't do in practice that day, just to show off his footwork and show

off that there are some similarities. And uh, and there are now granted I'm not gonna say Akim, but but we're talking about now a guy that's playing to that type of level at the at the end on the NBA stage. It is pretty remarkable because his feet were just different. I mean, he uh, he was like a ballerina there. I mean, folks thought he was gonna be, you know, super dominant, but not seeing him live, and um,

I didn't know much about him. At the beginning of Joel's freshman season, Bill self boy him off the bench. That changed after eight games. I think the more he played, the more comfortable he had. But the thing's saying, I mean we played Duke right off the bat in the Champions Classic, and Wiggs was unbelievable. Best player in the game. It was Jabari Parker versus Andrew Wiggins, and we put a seven foot freshman in there and they didn't start.

And and if I'm not mistaken, due doubled him on the post and something that he hasn't really gone against. I mean, why would they double a guy that's not going to score? M B draws the double chater, nice look inside the Wiggins straight covered out the ball by Wiggins. But the great luck for the young kid, I'm telling us something, what protextual he has. Well, you wouldn't look at him and say he's only been playing basketball tour years.

I just remember the poise he had handling traps, handling things, seeing things that never been thrown at him before. He just knew that it was just a matter of time before everything clicked for him. On the Brake Seldon love and be great catch. I couldn't go up with the shot, so he kind of gets resell losers hurt. Why you want watch the catch? First of all, not to travel in the location of the defender footwork up and under. That's a textbook right there. Yeah, you cannot defend that.

I don't know that we set to do list we you know, through our strength training. You know, we said, okay, these would be some goals that we try to try to get our guys to reach based on, you know, improving their flexibility, core strength, athletic ability, you know, strength, what whatever it be. And I all say, and I

think Joe was very strong, but he became stronger. But from a skill set standpoint, I don't think that we really said let's do this because or do that, Because I don't know that we really gathered what his ceiling was until we saw him the next day and then the next day and then the next day. It seems like to me, his ceiling changed the more we watched him.

I wanted him to learn how to score before he caught it, which I don't think a lot of young players understood that, and he got where he is really good at that as well. But I don't think we set any any goals for him except just trying to get him against his ceiling. But his ceiling changed. I mean, his ceiling in November wasn't the same as December or December, January or January's February. Unfortunately, we didn't get a chance

to see him in March because he got injured. Kansas Jayhawks center Joel Embiid out for the Big Twelve tournament and possibly more. How does this fractured vertebrae impact his draft stock? A lot of the NBA guys have said Jabari Parker is the most polished player, Joel Embiid has the most up side depending on that how that injury is. If he sits out for the rest of the NCAA tournament he makes a full recovery, he could still be a top two or three pick. This is what keeps

NBA general managers up at night. But for now, Bill self and Kansas have to march on without their center Joel Embied. Joe didn't play in the NCAA tournament that year. That's when his bad luck with injuries started. He suffered a stress fracture in his back. Then a week before Sam Hickey and the Sixes took him third overall, he had the first of two surgeries on his right foot. Again, Daryl Morey, I think everyone was concerned about the injuries, but I thought, I mean, it was very obvious Sam

was going to select him. I thought it was the perfect selection because he had a chance to be what he's become, which is, you know, the most dominant player in the league. The fact that he was out was actually positive for Sam. I knew. I knew that the way he was looking at it, he was trying to create as many chances of getting a dominant player in the future as possible. But whether he played early on wasn't as important. Bill, So I know he wasn't soft.

You know, we had a kid, Tary Black, that was a man. I mean, he played in the league. He was a man, and uh he loved going against Tark every day. You know, we did a rebounding drill. Joe broke his orbital bone. You know, he's he's he's uh, has to go get fixed up, and then you know, has to play in goggles and all that stuff. He didn't skip a bee, didn't miss a game. I mean,

it's so from a competitive standpoint like that. He wanted to be out there and he wanted to be out there for himself, but he also was a team guy. He wanted to be out there for his teammates too. He liked to win. He liked that feeling. He wasn't in it to just get his and move on. I felt like he was in it for us. And because he was, that definitely benefited him a lot. All right, Welcome to Sports Essential presented by Chevrolet. Thanks for being

with us. Alongside Jen Daniels, I'm Ron Burke. The Sixers hosted the Celtics tonight at Wells Fargo Center. However, Brett Brown did not coach the team. First round pick Joel em Beat's teenage brother Arthur, passed away today in Africa. Brown, along with GM, Sam Hinky and Luke bab Mute, were with MBIID in Philly. For more. We send it Downstairs, where d lineup has been following the story once again,

Luke and Bob Moute. That was a tough season. Like you started the season with Arthur fasting, so you know, obviously being injured, having all those expectations and wanting to play, but then having to sit and wait. Um then you get the news from from back home about Arthur. That was really tough on him. But I think I think

he did a good job. I think that actually motivated him, you know, to to to be better, to do good and like to look forward to to playing because you know, Arthur speak for him, so I think that kind of puts things in perspective for him to just continue and push hard because then you know, he had a lot of stuff to have somebody else to play for it, and you know, he pulled through. He pulled through, and you know, I know it's still fret for him, but like you know, I think that really got him going.

We are often running with this news alert, and it is not a good one for Sixers fans. CS in Philly dot Com, John Gonzalz has confirmed Senna, Joel and beat It's scheduled to have a second surgery on his right foot, leaving the second footer status for the upcoming season in doubt. I can't imagine being in the organization when you have a talent like Joel and he's in

the building but he's not playing. Um, you know, for the coach, for the franchise, for the fans, seventy Sixers head coach Doc Rivers, I don't think anyone knew how good he really was. I think they realized that he was talented, but man, I bet when they got to really see him play, I can't imagine sitting there as a coach and taking all those losses for the franchise thinking I've had this in my back pocket the entire time. And Joel finally graced the floor in a seventy Sixes

uniform on October twenty six, twenty sixteen. The promise was immediate. Seventy six Ers fans see this as the start of a new era for the NBA team. Tonight, Oklahoma season opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder and beat thinking three again missed one a few moments ago. There it is ten. Dona calls first first NBA hohop. You can see how happy he is. Beat that one look easy to have to call anodo was the iceola Joejoe his second bing whoop here coming down the stretch, Joel and Bean give

him twenty and down twenty one minutes. And Joel played more than thirty one games his first season, he would have been Rookie of the Year. The average twenty eight two and a half blocks in twenty five and a half minutes per game. Lebron James all the way in blocked by mb They are loving it at Wells Fargo Center. And we know somebody who watched Game seven of the finals trying to imitate the King that time with the Swire. Since then, his impact rating has gone up every season

except last year. The shows no indeed techniques on Westbrook and steers him down a turnover though by Boston. Now Simmons in transition quite a pastor MP Thy Gods posterizes bas in the full processed that and be faking the three Joba, he rammed it, he windmills a slam. This game is overth it be dups it Toronto, not even taking time out, Joella, be just win build the jam in a playoff game? Are you? Based on what he's done so far, It's clear Joel has God given ability

and athleticism. That's not the whole story, though. Joe wouldn't be who he is or gotten to where he is without his work ethic, without his mind. He's one smart dude early in the in his career, maybe a weekend. Okay, we all know he's beyond his years mentally, but he hadn't played. It's like a guy that that that was had the brightest mind, but nobody's really given him any information yet where it could really he could really expand

on that bill self. And so we're playing down here and there's a we were a ball screen mod team, you know, different things, and the big guy and uh and uh, Joe's teammate, go for the loose ball and and immediately Joe runs out and sets a butch on the guy guarding the point guarding and he sets it and the guy comes off, makes a play. We get an easy basket and all that stuff. And I stopped practice and I said, Joe, why did you do that?

I mean, why, why did you want If your man's out there, why don't you just run to the basket and beg for the ball? You know whatever? He said, coach, because my man's out there, So I know if I said a good screen, we got our best ball handler with the ball, he's gonna come off naked. I know he'd make a play for somebody. And and but that's a that's the way he thought a weekend that he could kind of see things and have a feel for things that guys that have only been playing basketball two

years didn't feel. I think, you know, you know, the basketball IQ is is as a part of my game that I don't think people pay attention to. Uh And especially defensively, why you really takes over is on the

defensive side of the ball. You know where the way I placed myself, the way I moved, the way I got picking ballum, you know, the way you know I got I got guys, especially when you know they're coming off pigs or if they're gonna they're gonna try to attack me, you know, just giving them space sometimes you make them think that they got an advantage of me when they really don't. Uh. And you know I just

use that to my advantage. So yeah, the basketball IQ I think that's one of the you know, biggest parts of my game, especially on the offensive side too. When you start talking about file drawn, like I draw my files and you know, I always end up on the free throw line. Doc Rivers, what's the old saying you don't know a player and take your coaching player. You know, I've always knew him was talented, you know, and and we obviously saw his skill, But I don't think you

can appreciate his basketball IQ until you around him. Very clever, very smart, understands defenses, you know, offensively, there's no position on the floor that he can't see that he doesn't feel. In Beat calling port here comes to double team Lee trying to knock it away. Great feet from em Beat the Bible able to put it in. You've got to feel where that double team is coming from, Mike and then antesipate that next passion and Beat gets rid of

it quick. He has the rare ability that very few players have that they're skilled, they're athletic, uh, they're smart, and they have feel Very few players walking earth have all those uh, and Joel has them all. A lot of guys, you know, a lot of my teammates that always ask me a lot, how do you do it? I just tell them it's easy. Well it might not be easy, but you just gotta you just gotta be

smart about it. Like it's hard to explain. But you know, when I'm being guarded, you know, guys tend to be you know, very physical with me. That's not the right way to approach it. You know, That's the way I usually take advantage of it, because if you're gonna try to be physical and you're gonna put your hands all over me, you know, I'm just gonna use it to get to the free throw line. Harris there was surrounded by Minnesota Timberwolves, Is and p. You can tell it.

He's fired up and there's so much Yeah, we were talking about beer mortals earlier. Yeah, that's the guy falling to the ground. Be immortal, the sublime. You know, I can just do my thing and just you know, being a bully, you know, just get any shots that I want the basketball IQ. I think that's one of the biggest parts my game, and this year it's the reason

Joel has turned himself into an MVP. I think the average fan sees a guy like Joel and thinks he just shows up, rose out of bed, and that's how he looks and he just plays that. Well, you're not that skilled without a lot of work and a lot of hours in the gym. You know, you can be giving God given ability, um, you know, athleticism, size, but to shoot the way he shoots, to dribble the way he dribbles, to have all the up and under mooves. That takes hours, hours upon hours working on your craft.

The game ends and Joel Embie needs to fix his film fix ry adopted the game. When I get home, you know, pobbly pobably eat U and U. And when he's time to go to bed at you know, everybody goes to bed. Then why before I go to bed, I like to watch the game, the same game that we just played, you know, just watching right after and try to see it doesn't matter a good or bad game, trying to see you know, I was being guarded. We played as a team. Why that can't do better? You know?

I do that and then go to sleep, and then in the morning, you know, come in and we do the same thing. Doc Rivers is in his first season coaching Joel embiid. He studies his game, He studies his opponent's game. He understands when we're playing a team, what they do well, what they're doing, what they're gonna try to do for him? Are they gonna trap him? Are they gonna front him. Are they gonna guard him single coverage, which doesn't see very often anymore. That's another area of

preparation though, that great players have to put in. Again, people think they show up and play, They don't. They put a lot of work into it. I know I've been there. In Joel's case, his ability to process what he sees and map that information from his eyes to his mind is pretty powerful stuff. This year especially, I watched film my home, you know, at the gym, right

before the game and the bus anywhere. Really, like I'm always on my phone, uh just you know, anytime you know I'm not doing anything, you know, I'm usually watching something basketball related. The curators of Joe's film collection are the sixest coaching staff and his personal coach, Drew Handlon. He goes over the you know, the tape or the game tape for every single game and any sense of voiceover and you know, we kind of go over and you know, see what we can do better, especially for me,

because every single game I see different differences. We might play Toronto, They're gonna send for guys on me by like before the ball is even in my hand. Curry with tennis shoot back to Jewell. He fakes on Baines, he goes baseline left. He's triple team back out the set three ball by Curry is in the Here he's gone Steph Curry knocking down the trouble from the top and beat baseline left was sworn by the raptors and Curry wide open and he pours in his third three.

Then we're gonna play a team like you know, Washington, where they're gonna try to send me baseline where the hub is posted up for a beat. He goes against Thomas Bryant to left of the lane. Here comes a double whirls around the trip, throws it off the glass and in it beat making a quick decisive move on the left watch spinning into the lay with the right

hand lamp to the right of the rim. We try to figure it out every single game, and you know, once we go over it and we see every aspect of you know, I was being guarded and what I can do better. And then we go over to the you know, the next opponent, you know, whether it's gonna guard me, send me ever clip to played against them before, Well, I got my shots from shot the ball against them.

We go over that then you know, all day, whenever I got the chance, I just you know, just keep watching, and right before the game, same thing, just to kind of we mind what I have to do. Players have every avenue. Now. I would love to have been a player in this day and time. I mean, we had no film zero. I mean honestly, I'd go on the West Coast and I would not know how the other team players looked. Not only have we not seen him play. And now these guys, we download everything, they can get

it on their iPhones, on their iPads. We can break it down for them, and you know, in five minutes after their game, Joel can say, hey, let me see all the pick and role plays that happened tonight, and within five minutes he could be looking at it on his phone. So things have absolutely changed for the better in that department. And we've also been able to edit film so now they don't have to watch a full

game if they don't want to. Addits uh that that we like, the edits that the player, the individual players like, we can put on their their devices as well. The result this season is that Joel Embiid is weaponizing his preparation. He's helped me a lot when we usually go over film, you know, I have so many different moves that I can't use. Uh and then and at times, you know, in the past, you know I haven't really I haven't really figured out, you know, when to use it. And

that's a good thing about going over film. You know, if I missed something and if I didn't do what I should have done, you know, we talked about it. If we're being frank, the way last season ended was hard. The Sixers were swept out of the Bubble by Boston. The Sixers inbound doing bad, he shoots at three on makes it Boston inbounds, time expires, and the Austin Celtics have defeated the seventy Sixers in Game four one ten to one oh six, thus ending the seventy six Ers season.

After this Round one playoff victory, Joe put up some impressive numbers, highlighted by three thirty point games in the playoffs. He left the Bubble disappointed in the outcome and in himself the stuff last year we didn't win. We thought we we could accomplish winning the whole thing. We didn't even come course, obviously, we had some bad luck with injuries and stuff, but that should never be an excused and then as me kind of ridiculous, I didn't make

any all NBA teams and and all that STU. So it was kind of like a punch in the gut. Joel went into last off season with several big vocal points. Again, Doc with my talk with Joel was more about winning first and things that he would have to do to impact winning on our team. His first thing was conditioning. I needed to get him in better shape than he was a year before. You know, I thought, but the season as rugged at as it is always and this year,

the seventy two games that come quickly. Our first thing for Joel was conditioning. Our second thing, well, we're gonna work with him as a team, and he had to work with an individually, is being a better passer out of the post. And then the third thing is, you know, the ratio of jump shots, post ups in between shots. We wanted to change, you know, we thought that jump shots the in between shots were high and the posts were low, and we told him afore the year, we

wanted to flip that. Give Joel credit. He did all the work and he's done great and all those things in respect to Joe's refinements on the court. His commitment to watching film is at the heart of his success. He studied tape, got his reps, and now look at him. He's unstoppable. Back to work and in the double figures for the eleven. There is literally, I don't know if any way to stop that defensively, and I've been taught

by some pretty good defensive coaches. There's not much you can do with that about hiding his car keys, Joe feels his fadeaway and ability to attack off the dribble have unlocked new dimensions to his game. The feed away, that's you know, over the past two years, that's something I've you know, I've gotten comfortable with. And you know, that's an unguardable shot. I mean, especially being seven fit,

no one's gonna block that shot. So you know, once you get to the playoffs and teams start doublet me, you you need to find different ways to you know, attack and get the shot off, and you know, find a balance in between, you know, getting your teammates involved and also being aggressive. And that's a shot that you know, if I'm being double uh, you know, that's that's easy to get to when that's a shot that we walk on and you know it's easy to make too, but

just gives him something else that he can do. He's always been a great post player. He just didn't go down there enough, you know. But I think as the little step away fadeaway has really give him another counter move. And when you're a post player and you can spend away from the basket and take that shot, or spend towards the basket and attack with hook shots and get to the basket, it literally makes you unguardable. And there's the double by Temple Joel tough shot and he trained

it to his career high. Here tonight they would be rejoicing its quick work is unbelievable. And adding the fadeaway jump shot did that has been great. Going into the short off season that we had. You know, I just we just looked on myself and the past couple of years, I've been mainly a post player, and I felt like I was easy to double. We needed to find, you know, other ways, different ways how to attack to make sure

that I don't get double. And that's where you know, ball handling comes in, you know, shooting off the dribble. I mean if I'm handling the ball out the top of the key, it's hard to double. That's where the jump shot sets everything up. You know, if Joel didn't have a jump shot, he wouldn't have a great attack move, you know. But the fact that he can face you up and you have to honor that he has the ability to just go up and shoot sets everything up, and he knows how to set it up. And that's

where it's IQ comes in. I mean, he does a great job of setting up its defenders. Guys, I'm not gonna leave that manages to come dumb with me while I'm handing the ball. So that was probably the main thing. You know, that that I will say that has been able to make me so successful this year is just shooting off the dribble and just being able to handle the ball. And you know, as the time goes off, I'm only gonna get better. Seaquille O'Neill has never shied

away from being tough on Joel. Joe's immense potential has always been the source of shocks immense expectations. I think he's a fabulous big man, and you know, sometimes when you see things that can make people better, sometimes you just say it out, and you know, I always talk about the word G fourteen classification. I do have G fourteen classification when it comes to being a dominant big man.

And when you see a guy with that much talent, a lot of times you want him to assert his dominance and being gets triple teams, still gets it to God and he'll go to the free throw line for three point play. It's not that many guys that can do this what he's doing. You talked about Shack mean, that dominant horse down low, and he's one of them. Early in his career he fell in love with the jumper a lot, and the great Charles Barkley and myself would say go inside, and you know he he thought

it was criticism. But now he's playing the way he's supposed to be playing. And what do you know, MVP talks for Joel Ember Joe's impact on winning this season can be easily quantified, but he goes beyond that. Joel is one of the main reasons while Daryl Murray jumped right back in after leaving Euston. I think it's just rare to have a player elites. I'm both under the floor and frankly, you can count on one hand the number of players in NBA history. You can do that.

I'm on too, So I need you the oppressor with all falling, I got your backs. Who who to have him be? Someone who's our go to guy on offense while consistently handing handling double teams and at the same time completely shut the other team down. I mean, it's it's it's it's mind mind melting to watch. Most of the time. He drives winning with everything he does. You know, he creates double teams that drives winning. If they don't,

he gives us a go to guy on the post. Defensively, I think this is his best year that he's ever had defensively. And so when you put all those things together, you know every night when you show up at the game, that you're getting a certain amount of points, a certain amount of rebounds, and a defensive anchor. Very few teams can say they have that. We're one of them that that can say that, and that that's what makes us special.

I know how much he worked over the summer because I came obviously right towards the tail end, and I saw that work every day. He was doing a lot doc and Joel I've done a really nice job getting him to the middle of the floor, a place that's very hard to double and just a complete package of dribble drives, pull up spin moves and frankly, the only way to guard him is to follow him. And so

that's what's happening. Everyone's everyone's like he's fouled so much. Well, it was either they're following him or he's dunking it. So I man, not really Joel's fault that the only way to guard him is to follow him. It's really that simple, and Joel has made it look that easy, but it hasn't really all been easy. Joel em beat is a dead. Parenting is hard, and parenting as a professional athlete comes with its own set of challenges. I tell him has been challenging because you know, I'm a

family man. I like to be you know, by my family, especially being and your dad. You know, I want to be of one. I want to see everything and does I want I wanted to grow up and me being dead with them at every steps that he takes. Seventy six is head coach Doc Rivers. That's four children of his own. He played thirteen years in the NBA that's

not easy because you're on the road a lot. Again, the hours that you have to work on your craft takes you out of the house for the most part, and so, you know, I thought it was always easier one through five, but once they start getting involved in sports and stuff, then it becomes really hard because you don't want to miss those. You know, you miss a lot being a pro athlete and your kids growing up, you really do miss a lot. But when you come home,

you have to spend time. Man. I one thing you learn with kids you can go over thirty, don't care. They just want to see your pops. And that's what makes it so special. Part of my mindset this year is also because of him, uh you know, just being a dad. You know, I just wanted to kind of I just wanted him to kind of see that, you know, his dad, his dad was I guess pretty good, you know, just you know, I want to win. I want to win MVPs, I want to win tie, I want to

win championships. Uh. You so I just wanted him to see his dad at his best. So that's part of the reason why you know, this ship. You know, I just wanted to go out and just dominate every single minute I'm on the floor, and you know, just to like, just to make him proud. Joel says he doesn't want Author to be a basketball player. Maybe soccer sound familiar. It's the same thing Joe's father wanted for him. What Joe does ultimate League one Author to know is how

much of an inspiration he is. A lot of people have the possession of me not walking hard or not playing hard, but I do. I try my best man. Before the bubble, while I was in the I was in the gym every single day for the other two months too, just trying to stay right there. I just like to be private, but you know, I owe to the city the championship, and that's why I keep walking so hard that because I need to make it happen. You know, that's why I was brought here. I really

need to make it happen. I don't think we ever know anyone's ceiling that's gonna come from within. But as good as he is, there's a higher ceiling for him. I can tell you that. And if he reaches that, goodbye League. If there's a higher place that he can go, and I believe there is, then watch out. It's gonna be amazing to watch once again, Luke and Bob Mute.

I'm personally not surprised, you know, going back to like the day when I first met him playing basketball and stuff that he was doing for someone who's just been playing for six months was unbelievable. He's just like, well, I'm like the kids will be playing for years. It's just good to see that everything aligned and that he's just kind of like going through his journey. I was just I was just a vessel. I mean, the Lord used me to, you know, get him where he needed

to be. So I was just I'm just blessing and honor to being part of the journey. Joel says his life is like a movie. He knows something when he sees it. The perfect finish is obvious, and take it from me, there's no better feeling than a championship, especially a championship in Philadelphia. It's crazy. Let's been no where. Everything that has Sampson Covid good seemed to be changing me playing at this level with women, and we've got to use jo for challenge to win the whole thing.

Like everything he's just happening so fast. And I've said it before in my life. He's like a movie, like he's just everything after the year Age just happened me so fast and possibly great ending of the store will be to win the whole thing. Inside the Process is a production of Studio seventy six and the seventy Sixers Podcast Network. I'm Julius serving to follow the seventy Sixers podcast network and all of it shows. Search seventy Sixers

podcasts wherever you listen to podcasts. Hey, this is Brian Seltzer from the seventy Sixers. Thanks so much for checking out the special bonus podcast Inside the Process. Joel Embiid is obviously having an incredible season, and we felt like we really wanted to dive deeper into how everything has come together for him at this particular moment of his career rear as he's turned himself into an MVP and

set the seventy Sixers up for a title run. To experience this story on some of our other content platforms, check out the latest episode of Here They Come, presented by Guy Coowitz, are behind the scenes documentary series, and this episode is called The Process. It's available now on the Sixers YouTube channel, where you can read a print version of the script for this podcast as an article

on sixers dot Com and the Sixers Mobile app. When it comes to a project like this, we have to give a handful of big shout outs Studio seventy six Sean Spencer, Nick McCain, Ryan McDonald, Maggie Zerbe and Ali Pinter from seventy Sixers Public Relations, Rob King, Patrick Reis, Molly Mita and Dave Shall from CIA, Jess Holtz Steinberg and Jenny Sachs, and a special thanks to NBC Sports Philadelphia, Drew Hanlon, lucombab Moute, Annelie Schmittel and Marie Laughlin, Doc Rivers,

Darryl Moorey, Bill Self, Michael Doyle, Seaquie O'Neill, and Mike Goings. See You've heard on Inside the Process is courtesy of APM Music. John Kramer was our engineer and perhaps the biggest, mightiest, loudest thanks of all to the one on only doctor Julius Irving, who somehow impressively knocked out a massive script in under thirty minutes. Wow. Once again, I'm Brian Seltzer.

I wrote and produced this Hope you enjoyed it while the seventy six Ers Podcast Network for much more content throughout the playoffs,