Joel Embiid is the darling of the young social media generation when it comes to the NBA, and Giannis Antetokounmpo isn’t far behind. However, the two budding superstars operate in very different fashion on the various online platforms, and a recent piece from Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated’s The Crossover drives that point home with haste.
Golliver wrote extensively about Instagram’s impact on the league, and it is certainly worth a full read. However, the difference between the Milwaukee Bucks forward and the Philadelphia 76ers center was striking. For Antetokounmpo, his stated motivations on social media, including Instagram, come without an agenda.
“It’s an honor [to be considered the next star on the platform], but I don’t post with an agenda. I post because I want my fans to get to know me and I want to document my struggle. … My family, my friends, my country, and my team all mean something to me. If my followers see my dedication and the fun I have along the way, then I feel I am doing the right thing.”
Beyond that, he stated a preference for Instagram over Twitter, and while having “more followers” was also in the mix as to why, Antetokounmpo also shared that he wants to “show (fans) how I really am, to show them behind the scenes.”
Embiid may have some similar motivations deep down, but in terms of the way he publicly engages, the All-Star big man is much more straight forward and, frankly, hilarious. In fact, he took credit for some of the social media buzz of the league on the whole.
“I’m taking the credit: I have the best social media by far. I just do what I have to do and then I’m out. I’m the best because I’m a savage. I don’t care. I do whatever I want.”
Embiid recently hopped on Instagram in an effort to recruit LeBron James to Philly, and there are many additional instances of his candid personality coming through, whether via microphone or his phone’s keyboard. This kind of confidence endears Embiid to many corners of the NBA world, and in short, he was quite candid here about his “savage” tendencies.
As noted in Golliver’s story, Antetokounmpo’s work is much more harmless, including one notable viral video, but he is certainly a straightforward competitor on the floor. That, in conjunction with his unicorn-like wingspan on the floor, absolutely adds to his level of fame and interest, but it is hard to imagine he would take the self-promotion angle of anointing himself as having “the best social by far.”
Not everyone loves the social media boom surrounding the NBA, but at this point, it is unquestionably aiding in the league’s massive growth, and this particular duo of young stars should garner some credit for that.
