Joel Embiid is a competitive person when it comes to pretty much everything. Even when he’s not on the NBA court, he’s willing to bounce a basketball off a pickup player and throw down a windmill dunk just to prove a point.
Embiid’s competitive streak carries over into things off the court, too. For example, the Philadelphia 76ers big went on the YouTube show Hot Ones, wherein guests eat extremely spicy chicken wings and answer questions. Embiid was there to promote his appearance on the cover of NBA Live 19, and he was jovial about the whole experience of eating some brutal heat.
In fact, he refused to drink milk or water during the taping and claimed multiple times that “it’s nothing” when asked about the wing’s heat. But unlike Shaq’s refrain when he tried the ‘One Chip Challenge,’ Embiid was serious. He was also serious about his trash talk.
Embiid was asked what he did to make teammate T.J. McConnell to make him furious when playing video games, and he recalled how he was “about to cry” because Embiid is so good at basketball video games.
I’m actually really good at everything I do, especially video game-related. I was beating the shit out of him. He was about to cry. And I was enjoying it, that’s what I like doing. I like kicking people’s asses and literally being in their faces. Letting them know that they suck. That they’re trash. And that I’m better than them. Even on the court, he just gets mad about anything. I’m like, “Dude, just calm down.” That day, it wasn’t a good day for him. It was really bad, but I could understand his frustration because I’m that good.
It’s a pretty bold statement to say “I’m actually really good at everything I do,” but that’s Embiid for you. And the fact is, he’s got the talent to back up his trash talk. As Mo Bamba found out on Thursday, you’re always going to hear it from Embiid’s mouth when he’s delivering on the court, virtual or otherwise.
