Joel Embiid is a very competitive person. Scratch that. Everybody in the NBA is competitive, but Embiid takes it to another level. T.J. McConnell is just as competitive as the next guy, but even he is impressed sometimes by the sheer competitive nature of his big man teammate. McConnell has been a part of the 76ers throughout the entirety of “The Process” which means he’s seen it all. From worst team in the NBA to a playoff contender. McConnell was there.
He also once saw his wife and Embiid try to kill each other over a board game. Remember that whole competitive thing? Yeah, even when he’s off the court Embiid is still insanely competitive. Throw in McConnell’s extremely competitive wife and you got yourself one heck of a story, via The Players’ Tribune.
“I’ll tell you a quick story. It’s last season, and I’m out with a shoulder injury……. and I’m feeling pretty low about it. Just one of those things, you know? It sucks to not be helping the team. But on this particular night, Joel’s out too, with his eye. So I get a quick text from him, inviting me over to watch the game. It’s just classic Joel — he’s one of these guys who prides himself on being, like, a legit-legit friend. (Not as normal around the league as you might think.)
But then here’s what sets Joel apart even more. After that text? There’s a follow-up.
“Yo — bring your wife, too.”
We ended up having the greatest night.
And by “we ended up having the greatest night,” do I mean, “I had a nice, relaxing evening watching the game on Joel’s huge projector screen, while Joel and my lovely wife FOUGHT ALMOST TO THE DEATH over a board game??” Yeah, that’s what I mean.
I think the last words spoken before we left his apartment were Joel — with my wife standing there, just fuming — yelling out, “Nah, you lost. You lost fair and square. Fair AND square. Ask around. I’ve never lost. NEVAAAA.”
There are real ones and then there’s want to kill you over a board game real ones. A competitor like Embiid is going to want to win at everything he can no matter how small. That’s great until he runs into someone equally competitive like McConnell’s wife. Then all hell can potentially break loose apparently. It sounds like from McConnell’s story that Embiid’s not just a sore loser, but a sore winner as well.
In conclusion? Game night at the Embiid household is a battle and may the best winner come out on top. There is no room for losers.
