Joel Embiid was already beloved but, in the (very) recent past, his legend has grown by leaps and bounds with on-court performances that have captivated the entire league. On Monday evening, though, it was not necessarily a production-related play that drew widespread attention, as Embiid was involved in a scuffle with Utah Jazz rookie Donovan Mitchell.
While there is certainly some context in play, the video paints a nice picture of what transpired after Embiid blocked the rookie on a layup attempt.
Joel Embiid block + staredown + shove + technical = best league in the world https://t.co/vaHfNziMfa
— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) November 21, 2017
Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer then shed a bit of light on what exactly Embiid said to inspire Mitchell to get up and throw him to the ground.
Embiid blocks Mitchell's shot and yells "Get that shit out of here" after Mitchell falls to the ground. Mitchell gets up and shoves Embiid to the ground. The crowd goes crazy chanting 'MVP" and "Trust the Process"
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) November 21, 2017
There is a lot to unpack here but you rarely see a full-fledged shove like that from anyone, much less a rookie, and Embiid’s reaction after being tossed to the ground was utterly tremendous. In short, he never breaks character and the immediate chants of “Trust The Process” were perfect in the aftermath of the incident itself.
Joel Embiid continues to be an absolute delight and knows how to push opponents buttons like few in the league. As for he and Mitchell, the two hugged after the 107-86 Sixers win, so it seems like everything is alright between them
Embiid is an absolute joy, and when you can drop 15 points and 11 boards in a relative off night you can have a little fun with a rookie.
