Joel Embiid is a man of varied interests. When he’s not dominating social media by trying to score dates with models and celebrities or taking pot shots at opponents (not to mention his own teammates), the Sixers big man is something of a professional athlete. Though his career has been plagued by injuries early on, in 30 games this season, Embiid reminded us all why he was widely considered the best prospect of his draft class.
One of the things that makes him so special as a post-player is his incredible footwork, and now we might have found our answer for where he developed those skills. During an exhibition game ahead of the UEFA Champions League Final in Wales over the weekend, Embiid showed off some fancy footwork while playing goalkeeper.
Así se divierten #JoelEmbiid y #ClintCapela en #Cardiff con motivo de la final de la #UCL. ¡Fantastico! ⚽️🏀 pic.twitter.com/0Z244tyEhS
— Gabriel Garduño (@GabGardh) June 2, 2017
Before any Philly fans have an aneurysm from worrying about him re-injuring himself, it looked like Embiid was primarily out there to make a celebrity appearance along with Rockets’ center Clint Capela during warmups, not to overexert himself physically in a meaningless game. Embiid told us prior to the game that he might get out there and juggle the ball around (as he did), but he wouldn’t actually play because he remains a week away from being (hopefully) cleared by a doctor to return to the court.
The Sixers showed significant improvement this season with Embiid on the court, although they still have a long way to go before they can completely climb out of the doldrums. But if “The Process” can stay healthy, they have a bright future ahead.
