
via Imago
Feb 4, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) looks on against the Dallas Mavericks in the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

via Imago
Feb 4, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) looks on against the Dallas Mavericks in the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
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Joel Embiid’s relationship with the 76ers isn’t just rocky, it’s barely holding together. After last season’s locker room drama, things took a sharp turn. When Tyrese Maxey reportedly called him out during a players-only meeting, Embiid didn’t just brush it off. Instead, he blasted the leak, calling the person behind it a “real piece of s***.” He recently explained, “That goes back to the trust thing. Once you cross that — you can’t expect me to be part of a team meeting again.” And just like that, the heart of the team removed himself from the room.
The incident didn’t happen in a vacuum. That closed-door meeting took place during a brutal 2-11 start. The team never recovered, finishing with just 24 wins. Embiid, sidelined by injury for most of it, only played 19 games. So, what happens when your franchise player doesn’t trust the room anymore? You either fix it or brace for a full collapse. Embiid even said he knows who leaked the story, and the fact that the person may still be on the team leaves tension hanging in the air.
Now, Bobby Marks sees only one path forward. “Partnership between Philadelphia and Joel Embiid. There’s no turning back, right? Like they’ve got to make this work,” he said on ESPN. He reminded everyone of the hefty commitment the Sixers made, extending Embiid last year despite injury concerns. “There’s four years, two hundred and forty two million dollars… the last year that contract is sixty nine million dollars.” That kind of investment isn’t just financial, it’s emotional and strategic too. The Sixers bet big, and now there’s no easy escape.
“This partnership between Philadelphia and Joel Embiid, there’s no turning back.”@BobbyMarks42 thinks this offseason will determine Joel Embiid’s future with the 76ers 👀 pic.twitter.com/NMT9XPaJ3M
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) July 17, 2025
So, is there still time to fix things? Sure. Embiid is expected to return for training camp, and Paul George, despite his knee surgery, could boost Philly’s title hopes. But as Marks pointed out, “That is the danger zone of contracts.” According to him, “For both sides, they’ve got to make it work here for better or worse.”And if trust inside the locker room stays broken, no contract can buy back chemistry.
Joel Embiid’s ESPN profile sparks praise nationwide but draws cynicism at home
While Joel Embiid’s relationship with the 76ers faces scrutiny, his public image was thrown into a new spotlight after ESPN’s Dotun Akintoye released a massive 10,000-word profile on him. The piece offered rare access and heartfelt insight into the All-Star’s life, showing a side many fans never see. Embiid’s openness was praised by national readers, but the reaction wasn’t so kind back home. In Philadelphia, not everyone bought into the vulnerability the article tried to highlight, and the backlash was loud.
One of the most critical voices came from local radio host John Kincade of 97.5 The Fanatic. He didn’t hold back, accusing Embiid’s team of planning the article to shift public perception. “This was absolutely a piece orchestrated by his camp,” he claimed, expressing suspicion over why a regular ESPN NBA writer wasn’t given the assignment. For Kincade, the issue was less about the content and more about its timing and possible intent, which he felt leaned toward calculated PR instead of journalism.
Kincade also questioned Joel Embiid’s mindset, accusing the MVP of never owning his failures. “Very not accountable for his own actions. Very much he’s the victim,” he said. Then he doubled down, adding, “It’s always going to be, what someone else did to him, where someone else failed him, what wasn’t doesn’t done for him, the medical staff, coaching staff. Not what he could have done better.”
Still, the profile offered a rare window into Embiid’s world. In today’s media landscape, such deep features are a dying breed. Yet this reaction might discourage other athletes from being so open again, especially in cities like Philadelphia, where expectations are sky high. Can Embiid win back his hometown’s full support? Only a healthy playoff run will silence the noise.
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Is Joel Embiid's rocky relationship with the 76ers a ticking time bomb for the franchise?
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Is Joel Embiid's rocky relationship with the 76ers a ticking time bomb for the franchise?