NBA 2K17 Gave Joel Embiid The Iverson Step-Over And It’s Spectacular

Joel Embiid is the runaway leader for Rookie of the Year because of his incredible combination of outside shooting and rim protection. But that’s only part of why he’s captivated fans everywhere; the other part is his boundless swag. It seems that the makers of NBA 2K17 have taken notice and given Embiid some trash talking moves in the game. If you go hard enough with Embiid, he breaks out the Iverson step-over move.

We’re waiting (breathlessly) for the day in which Jojo pulls that out in a real game, but for now, we have to be impressed with the game-makers’ sense of history. With apologies to Andre Iguodala, Embiid is the biggest star the 76ers have had since Allen Iverson and seems like exactly the kind of brash guy to show up someone he just dominated. It looks like the victim in this case was the videogame version of Chris Copeland, who doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to start a fistfight over it.

Embiid seems like exactly the kind of player who would sort of break NBA 2K17, regardless of his real rating. His measurable ability in shot blocking and long-range shooting would outweight even the smartest programmers’ attempts to translate his rookie mistakes. You could probably get a quadruple-double out of him most nights, and that speaks to his limitless potential in real life as well.