One-on-one with Joel Embiid

and more. It was a pleasure, as always to hear what's going on in the mind of one of the smartest players in this league, one of the best players in this league, one of the funniest players in this league. So, without further ado, here's my conversation with Joel Embiid. Joel Embiid, It's wonderful to see you, Thank you for sitting down. Happy to have you back in Philly. How is your brain feeling headed into this season? You had the best season of your career last year, so what's motivating you

to level up again this year? Oh? Women, Uh man, we didn't win anything, so I gotta be better. Uh you know, I gotta be better for my teammates. Uh you know, the coaches and the whole organization and the city. So you know, I gotta found ways to get better. You know. It's uh, you know, as you say season was, I was pretty okay last year, but I know I

can't be way better than I was last year. I think there are a lot of Sixers fans that are going to be really happy to hear you classify last year as pretty okay because from where I was sitting, it was pretty excellent. And I know that you spend a lot of time tweaking your game, watching film, trying to make moves in the margins, right, So what did you spend the most time working on in this offseason.

One of the biggest things, um that hopeing last year was you know, when I added you know, shooting off the dribble. That was a big part of you know, my my involution. So uh, this year, you know, I believe that you know, I should be I should be taking more threes. Uh, you know, I think he's gonna help the team even more. And then also, you know, the main thing that I really walked on it was off the drip of stuff, you know, because as you get into the playoffs and you know, passing first one

and all that said, he becomes stuffing. You can't post up all the time. You gotta find different ways on how to score the basketball. So that's why we walked on this summer. You always say that your life is like a movie. So if you had to take us through to this point in the plot right now this year, what part of the movie are we in the movie? Well, you know, I'm really starting to figure that WO like myself and who I am h you know, as a not necessarily as a basketball player, but you know as

a man. Uh you know obviously you know my fan me which I love the most, uh you know in this war uh and you know and as a man, just you know the way I push um, what is business on my life? So I think you know a suppose you know, I'm really excited about you talk about how you approach your business and you approach your job.

Someone who's impressed me the whole time that he's been in Philadelphia is Tobias And I talked to him a few minutes ago and he told me about how your relationship has changed since he got here to now when you guys really have a partnership and it seems like it's really grown. So how would you describe your relationship with Tobias and where it's headed. Oh yeah, man, when he came here, I didn't respect him. Just kidding, but uh no, He's a great guy, always has been, you know,

class Uh, you know, extremely smart. Uh and obviously as the year, he takes a lot to earn my trust. Uh. So I will say I didn't open up at all, you know when he came and you know, when it was new. Uh, and you know it's the you know, this is the third year. Uh, you know, state years, you know go on, you know you kind of get to be around the guy and you kind of learned about you know, what it's about. And you know I

is and he's a he's a great guy. What do you Because you and I have very different working relationships with Tobias. I respect him for a lot of things. But he carries himself, the way he talks to people, the way he works on the court, on his mental game. What do you respect about Tobias? I respect him from uh for being real. Uh you know, if that's something wrong,

you will tell you. And I respect him. I think he's been loss of credit to him but he's been kind of about the glue of our team, you know, getting gods together and keeping gods together. Um, you know, I'm I'm a leader in a way that you know, I'm gonna go out on the court and I'm gonna dominate, and I'm gonna help us win games, and I'm gonna do my best and I'm gonna be like hump on

my back and I got you. And then off the court, I'm more reserved, which you know, I've changed a lot too, and you know I've opened up, but it's still not as you know, as it does it. So, you know, like after the season ended, I you know, I thank I thanked him, you know, for you know, everything he's done and kind of keeping the team together. Some of those people that he's kept together are people like Matifs

and fur Con and Shaken. Now, because you're sort of a veteran at this point, you've seen the entirety of those guys' careers. So what are you excited about most when you think of that group that used to sort of be the youngsters, but now they've had a few years in the league, what are you looking for out of them this year? As your teammates. Um, you know, I'm just looking. I'm excited, you know. Fuck, I just got paid and I told him he asked for my advice.

I told him that I get the most money you can. Uh literally, So I'm glad it's back. Um, you know Shake, you know he has a chance to be to get paid too, you know. Um, and then Mattiss obviously. Uh. But the thing I always tell him is that it all goes back to winning, because if we win as a team, everybody wins. Like if we win, you know, everybody's gonna get paid. So um, you know, everybody's gonna get taken care of. And it's not so much about money.

But I just think, you know, as man, Uh, you know that great guys, so you know smart, Uh, you know what, there's Matiss and you know, and I'm also excited to kind of be around the the all the guys, the young, the new guys and the young guys Matisse. When he played in the Olympics, you tweeted about it afterwards, and you tweet very selectively. You don't tweet about just everything. Yeah, So why were you happy for him? Why did you want to support him? Did you watch this game? Yeah,

I'll watch. I watched part every game was early in the morning, but you know, I like to sleep, but you know, I stayed up and you know, watch you know, most of the games, and I was I was pretty you know, excited about him because you know, the way he was shooting the ball. Obviously, we know what he is defensively, and I've told him several times that he has a chance to be, you know, the best defender on the planet and and win Defensive Player of the Year.

But we know what he can do defensive and then offensively. Yeah, I was just happy because it was somehow he just became a you know, I guess it's too walk stuff, but he just became a you know, better shooter. So I'm excited for him to kind of show this year. What did you think playing your first year with Doc Rivers? What are you looking forward to about continuing your partnership with Doc. Oh, he's been great. You know. Obviously the regular season was good and you know that UM as

far as winning, UM, it wasn't there. I think, you know, we all could be better. Uh, you know, I can be better. Uh, he can be better as a coach and east coaching stuff. Could also be better. But I think he's I think he was great. Uh, you know, he did a great job. This is a question that I've asked all your teammates. But if you look back at your younger self, maybe your fifteen year old self that was just starting to play this game, knowing where

you've gotten to, now, what advice would you give to him? Well, my fifteen year old self was was getting ready to go to uh France to play volleyball. Uh, so I meant the advice I would get to him. It's that. Uh, you know, I'm glad he waited. I'm glad you know that I didn't happen at fifteen. I'm glad you know a few months later, Uh look, Balboulte, who I'm really tanked, thankful off you know, came back and how the camp and you know I was, you know, glad to be

part of it. And even then I just I wasn't good, but he saw something in me, and you know it gave me the chance. So you know, looking back, I would just be you know, I would just be glad that you know that you want to be you know kinda yeah, waited just for a few more months until you know it turned sixteen. I'm glad that you waited and that you didn't take I'm glad too. I mean when you start thinking about, you know, the the lifestyle and you know it's completely different. I'm happy for you,

especially signing that new contract. I have to ask about it, this commitment that you've made to the city. What are you so excited about about now you and Philly sort of have a long term future ahead of you. Well, I'm excited to continue on building, you know what we've been trying to. Obviously, he's gonna take more than me. I'm gonna need help, you know, I'm gonna need my teammates to help. But I believe we have that chance. And that's also a continuation to kind of, you know,

keep the dream alive to retire here. But yeah, it is a continuation of, you know, keeping that goal alive to just play for one city. This is the last section that we talked about rapid fire. I'm gonna ask you a couple things. You're gonna tell me which of your teammates are most likely to do this thing, Which of your teammates are most on time? Yeah? Wow, I was mad at Tobias today was kind of late, so I was gonna say him, but I will say Maxie.

Who's the best dancer? The best dancer? Yeah, probably a couple of years ago. I'll posted a picture of video of drumm and dancing for probably here. Who's the worst dancer? Um? Probably George. Who would you trust to cook you dinner on the team? None of them? I'm too picky. Who would you take a restaurant recommendation from? Who would you trust to help you get out of an escape room? I don't know because I would never do that. Who would you trust to babysit baby see my key? Yeah? Nobody? Okay?

Who is the best like if you have an early work out, who's the biggest morning person? Who brings must joy in the morning? Boten Maxi because he's always, you know, early, the first one in and you know he's you know, he has a lot of energy. Always Smiley. Who's the grumpiest in the morning? But definitely me? I hate waking up. Who's the funniest funniest I used to be Um. I used to be Bobby Paul. Who's the nerdiest, the nerdiest? Matis? Who do you trust to pick the music when you

guys are working out. Um, I would trust myself, but that wouldn't like it because I would just listen to French music. This is the last one. If you had to get one of your teammates to write a poem that would help emote something, get across some emotions, who's writing the poem? To Boss, Joel and b thank you so much for sitting down. This was great. Thank you guys, Thanks as always for listening to the seventy Sixers Insiders Podcast. Thanks to Joel Embiid for the time and the thoughtfulness.

It was a pleasure to catch up with him. Make sure you're subscribed to the seventy Sixers Insiders Podcast if you are not already. We have more of these one on one interviews coming all week and then all season long. Also make sure you're subscribed to the seventy Sixers Scoop, which is where you can find a bite sized podcast updating you on seventy sixers activities as training camp continues.

They're about three to five minutes, they're always informative. Will have those almost every day of training camp leading up to the season. So again, that's the seventy Sixers Scoop podcast. Thanks as always, for listening and we will talk to you soon.