It takes one hard-nosed veteran to truly see another star’s cracks. Joel Embiid has been the face of the Philadelphia 76ers for nearly a decade, but it was Udonis Haslem, the embodiment of toughness and accountability, who recently admitted he wished he’d had a year or two with the MVP. His words carried weight. And in Haslem’s eyes, that missing partnership may have been the one thing to sharpen Embiid’s edges.

On The OGs podcast, Haslem didn’t hold back. “You had a designated spot 10 years with your LMB. You keep talking my feel. I wish I just had a year or two,” Haslem said. The Heat lifter spoke like a man with unfinished business. He loved Miami, called it home, but confessed that watching Embiid from afar left him wondering what could have been.

“I love to be with the Heat,” Haslem said. “But just on the other side watching and wishing and seeing what he could be. I just wish I had a year or two. I don’t know if I could have helped, but god damn it.” Marcus Morris, sitting alongside him, was quick to interject: “Yeah, you would have helped.” But Haslem didn’t stop there.

Haslem doubled down, saying, “It would have been some a– kick. It would have been something. One thing we ain’t going to do is… you gonna have to kill me. I’m going to kill you in this, b-tch. Something going to change.” And just like that, the implication was clear. Embiid’s generational skill has never been in doubt. His durability, his conditioning, and at times his habits? Those have been fair game.

So much so, back in 2024, Udonis even pointed those habits out, saying, “I see the moves that Philly has made and offensively I’m encouraged, but defensively, I don’t know. Once again, Joel Embiid has habits that he needs to figure out. Is he the greatest player in the NBA? It’s a question…” Fast forward to now, Haslem hinted at the Sixers’ structure enabling Embiid’s unchecked control. And Morris had something to add to that.

“They drafted him, allowed him to grow so much that he got so much control. So now like certain that he doing… you don’t see in the league.” And well, fair? Haslem then went on to say, “I just wish I cuz I see everybody that know basketball know what that could be.” Morris then recalled first arriving in Philadelphia and being stunned by Embiid’s raw dominance. “I came in the league like I came to Philly, and he did some. I was like, I never seen that. Like I been on a team with all type of shit… in my mind as the guy it was crazy.” Then came the expectations, because of course, they did.

Embiid under the microscope

Haslem pressed the point harder: “I want to see the best version of Joel Embiid. I want to see that in shape, healthy, best version of Jo.” He even threw Nikola Jokic into the conversation. “Listen, I’m not talking Joker, what Joker is able to do, dog. But if that man Joel B was in shape and healthy and took care of his body… it wouldn’t be a conversation in my opinion.” Those are all heavy words.

Embiid, who has averaged 27.7 points career-wide and secured his second straight scoring title earlier, has proven his production is elite. But availability continues to haunt him. Across 10 years, he’s played more than 65 games just twice. Come playoff time, lingering injuries often shift the Sixers’ ceiling from title threat to cautionary tale.

For Haslem, talent without discipline leaves meat on the bone. And for a franchise that has cycled through Jimmy Butler, James Harden, and now Tyrese Maxey alongside Embiid, that criticism hits hard. The Sixers have built everything around their MVP, but the missing piece might not be another All-Star. It might be the accountability that only a player like Haslem brings.

Embiid’s contract extension locks him in through the 2028-29 season, with $193 million at stake, and a player option in 2028. That’s security. But championships aren’t promised. Jokic already has one. Giannis has one. Even Anthony Davis proved he could rise to the moment alongside LeBron. Embiid is still chasing his first Conference Finals.

And that’s where Haslem’s comments sting most. They weren’t about questioning skill. They were about questioning whether anyone in Philly can demand more from him than he demands from himself. If Embiid finds that level of discipline, the Sixers might finally shed their reputation as perennial heartbreakers. If not, Haslem’s words will persist as the veteran advice Embiid never got in time.