No team has made more headlines this NBA off-season than the Philadelphia 76ers, but all for the wrong reasons. The team’s loss in the conference semi-finals last season started a chain reaction; dismantling the entire organization. Recently, their superstar Joel Embiid also removed the franchise name from his Twitter bio.

The league MVP’s mentality has now received public criticism from a former NBA All-Star. Citing Dwight Howard as a better competitor, he raised doubts over Joel’s urge to win the championship.

Does Joel Embiid want to win a championship?

In the latest episode of Gil’s Arena, host Gilbert Arenas expressed his lack of faith in Joel Embiid’s willingness to conquer the title. “Does he wanna win?” the three-time All-Star mockingly asked before pointing out that he needed a state of mind like Damian Lillard or Russell Westbrook.

“He needs a Dame mentality,” Gilbert mentioned before adding, “He needs a Westbrook, like someone who’s gonna demand”.

Arenas highlighted complacency as Joel’s biggest enemy. That’s why he believed that a personality like Damian to Russell would elevate the demands around the team atmosphere. As it’s not the case with the 76ers at the moment, the entire team’s competitive environment is now settled around Embiid’s personal goals.

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Later in the podcast, a comparison was drawn between Joel and Dwight Howard. Dwight had to face criticism previously for his inability to lead his teams to championships. As his former teammate, Gilbert was quick to oppose that standpoint. “Nah,” he said to disagree and point out, “He was an animal, but he was playful”.

What does the future hold for Embiid?

The removal of the franchise’s affiliation from his bio, Joel has put his future with the 76ers under doubt. As reported by Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Lakers could be a possible destination for the 7′ Cameroonian center.

He is currently on a 4-year $213 million deal with the 76ers and is the face of the team. So, his departure would cause a lot of controversies in case it ever happens. In addition, finding his successor would be another tough task for them.

Joel Embiid’s decision put the 76ers under further pressure and add more frustration to the ongoing issue. Will Embiid jump ship for a championship? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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