Basketball, just like any other sport, is bound to produce moments of highs and lows, wins and losses. In the case of Philadelphia’s star, Big Man, his career is proof that there are always going to be wavy moments.
There are very few occasions of the home crowd booing their star player, with the thought of it a bizarre one. But this was the case for Joel Embiid during a game for the Philadelphia 76ers against the Chicago Bulls in February 2020.
How a player, who one would think should get a lot of love from fans, gets the opposite is a scenario worth talking about and delving into.
Growing up in Cameroon
Joel Hans Embiid is a Cameroonian-American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Born on March 16, 1994, in Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon, he grew up in a middle-class family. His father, Thomas Embiid, was a military officer, and his mother, Christine, was a stay-at-home mom.
Growing up, Embiid was initially more interested in soccer and volleyball, which are popular sports in Cameroon. His height and athletic ability made him particularly good at volleyball, and he even dreamed of playing the sport professionally.
Basketball was never in the picture for him initially, as it was not as popular in Cameroon as soccer or volleyball. His introduction to basketball came relatively late. He began playing at the age of 15, inspired by the success of NBA player Hakeem Olajuwon, another African player who made it big in the NBA.
Embiid’s tall, athletic build made him a natural fit for the sport, and he quickly showed promise. A local coach noticed his raw talent, and soon after, he impressed Cameroonian NBA player Luc Mbah a Moute during a basketball camp in Yaounde.
Coming to America
Joel Embiid moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue his basketball ambitions. Arriving in the US, he initially enlisted at the Montverde Academy in Florida, a school known for its excellent basketball program.
However, due to limited playing time at Montverde, Embiid transferred to The Rock School, a private Christian school in Gainesville, Florida, where he quickly became a standout player.
At The Rock School, he quickly improved his skills and guided the team to a state championship during his final year.
Embiid’s standout high school performance caught the eye of top college basketball programs nationwide. He became a highly sought-after recruit and ultimately chose to attend the University of Kansas, known for its strong basketball history. Embiid joined the Kansas Jayhawks for the 2013-2014 season.
Joel Embiid at the University of Kansas
At Kansas, Embiid rapidly gained recognition as one of the top young talents in college basketball. His exceptional size, athleticism, and skill set him apart. At 7 feet tall with a wingspan exceeding 7’5″, he was a powerful presence on both offense and defense.
During his freshman season, Embiid’s shot-blocking ability and defensive instincts were immediately apparent. He averaged 2.6 blocks per game, making him one of the top shot-blockers in the nation.
Offensively, Embiid showed flashes of brilliance with his footwork and touch around the basket, drawing comparisons to NBA greats like Hakeem Olajuwon.
As the season went on, Embiid’s value in the NBA Draft skyrocketed. Even as a freshman, he was a projection as the likely top pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. His rare combination of size, skill, and athleticism made him one of the most highly coveted prospects.
Unfortunately, Embiid’s college season was cut short by a back injury, which kept him out of the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments. Despite the injury, he declared for the 2014 NBA Draft, confident in his potential at the professional level.
Becoming part of “The Process”
Joel Embiid was the third overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. Despite his immense potential, Embiid entered the NBA with concerns surrounding his health.
A foot injury, which required surgery, forced him to miss the entire 2014-2015 season. Unfortunately, complications from the injury and another surgery caused him to miss the entire 2015-2016 season as well.
At that time, the 76ers were undergoing a contentious rebuilding strategy led by then-general manager Sam Hinkie. The strategy focused on trading away experienced players and gathering draft picks to create a strong team in the future, even if it meant enduring multiple losing seasons—a blatant case of “tanking”.
This approach was called “The Process,” with Hinkie encouraging fans to “Trust the Process” despite the team’s difficulties.
Embiid finally made his NBA debut in the 2016-2017 season, with his dominant performances and charismatic personality captivating the Sixers’ fan base. As the embodiment of the new era, he embraced the nickname “The Process”.
The phrase encompasses both the struggles and the eventual successes of the 76ers’ journey. Fans, players, and even Embiid himself would use the phrase to signify faith in long-term planning and perseverance, even when immediate results were lacking.
Thus far, the 76ers’ journey still seems to be needing more trust. Individually, Embiid has been very successful, winning the MVP title, multiple scoring titles, and several All-NBA and All-Star selections.
However, on a team basis, the 76ers have been very underwhelming. Since making the playoffs with Embiid on the team’s roster in the 2017-2018 season, the 76ers have featured in every playoff but have failed to make it past the second round of any playoff series.
Why Cameroon hates Joel Embiid
Joel Embiid is, without a doubt, a Cameroonian, and as such, he appears to get some sort of “hate” or distasteful remark from his fellow countrymen.
This is a result of his perceived ostracism towards Cameroon’s basketball and limited participation in the national basketball team.
Despite being one of the most prominent basketball players from Cameroon, Embiid has not played much for the national team, which has led to criticism from some fans who feel that he should be more committed to representing his country on the international stage.
In 2017, Embiid faced criticism from some Cameroonian fans after he chose not to participate in the FIBA AfroBasket tournament, a major basketball competition in Africa, stating his health and injury concerns as the reason for his absence.
It did feel like a justifiable reason, considering he has had his struggles with injuries and deemed it necessary for him to undergo proper recovery during the off-season.
Embiid’s absence was apparent, as Cameroon made it to the quarterfinals but fell short of making a deeper run in the tournament.
A few years later, Embiid threw in the final straw by declaring his desire to represent France instead. This move came about from the desire to have more options in the international scene, particularly with France being a formidable basketball force.
Also, some critics felt that Embiid needed to engage more with the local basketball community in Cameroon or contribute to the development of the sport in his home country.
Although Embiid has expressed pride in his heritage and has made efforts to give back, these actions have not always been visible or sufficient in the eyes of some Cameroonian fans.
Why France hates Joel Embiid
Joel Embiid’s relationship with France became sour following a series of events that led to disappointment among French basketball fans and officials. This tension arose from Embiid’s initial interest in representing France in international basketball competitions, only to later choose to play for the United States.
In July 2022, Joel Embiid was granted French citizenship, a move that signified his intent to represent France on the international stage.
The French basketball community welcomed him, viewing his potential addition to the national team as a significant boost for their chances in future competitions.
Following the acquisition of French citizenship, Embiid wrote an open letter to French President Emmanuel Macron, which many saw as a declaration of his interest in representing France.
A leaked letter from 2021 reveals Joel Embiid promised French President Emmanuel Macron that he’d represent France at the 2024 Paris Olympics 😳 pic.twitter.com/DNpVS0C8tz
— Stadium Live (@StadiumLiveApp) April 18, 2024
In the letter, Embiid expressed his admiration for France and suggested his interest in playing for the French national team. This move signaled a commitment to France and thrilled many French fans and officials at the thought of having an NBA MVP in their ranks.
In a surprising twist, Embiid decided in 2024 to represent the United States in the Paris Olympics. This choice shocked and angered many in France who had expected him to join their national team.
The reaction in France was one of disappointment, frustration, and even a sense of betrayal. Many felt that Embiid had led them on, showing strong interest in playing for France only to switch to Team USA at the last minute.
French basketball fans and officials were particularly upset because they had envisioned Embiid as a critical part of their national team’s future alongside Rudy Gobert and Victor Wembanyama.
This series of events has undoubtedly complicated Embiid’s relationship with France, a nation that had once been eager to welcome him as one of their own on the basketball court.
Why the Americans hate Joel Embiid
Joel Embiid has faced criticism throughout his career for perceived “softness” or a lack of toughness, particularly regarding his physical and mental approach to the game.
For starters, his injury concerns have always made him subject to proclamations of being “soft” in the physical sense. These injuries have led to him missing significant minutes throughout his career and, as such, was always in question down the stretch.
There is also the issue of his mental softness. For a franchise player, Embiid often performs below par in crunch times in games or crucial moments during the postseason.
For instance, some critics pointed to his performance in key playoff games as evidence of a lack of mental toughness. They argue that his performances in high-stakes situations have not always matched his regular-season dominance.
Another reason why he attracts hate is his playing style. He mastered the art of flopping, and fans generally dislike those kinds of players, especially when it is a Big Man following in the footsteps of Shaq and Hakeem.
For a player who plays in a position in basketball that has always prioritized physical strength and body contact, Embiid leverages his elite ball handling and maneuvering skills to draw foul calls from any form of excessive contact from opponents.
This then sends him to the free-throw line, which allows him to rack up more points. It is no coincidence that he averaged more free throws per game than any other player last season and has been leading that metric over the past few seasons.
Joel Embiid: The Hated MVP
The most significant controversy centered around the MVP race in recent times was between Embiid and Nikola Jokic.
Jokic, a consecutive winner of the award, was in contention for another MVP title, and this posed a considerable threat to Embiid, who did not hide his desire to win the coveted award for the first time.
There was also a discussion about “voter fatigue”. Some argued that the MVP award should recognize different players each year to avoid awarding the same player multiple times in a row, which might have influenced the decision to award Embiid the MVP.
All these, coupled with their respective impact on their team’s success, with the media and public’s perception of Embiid overcoming his injury challenges, made his triumph somewhat of a charitable affair rather than a well-deserved outcome.
Then, if you rub in the ignorance of talking heads like Kendrick Perkins, one could see how the vitriol towards the ever-stoic Jokic reached unprecedented levels.
Embiid’s abrasive personality does not endear him to fans. He taunts a lot and gets involved in verbal duels with fans and media outlets, which gives people an excuse to dissect his words and actions in search of offense.
The Embiid hate cycle peaked during the internet’s reaction to his crying face after Kawhi Leonard sank the 76ers with the double-bounce buzzer beater.
Fans and media outlets made a laughing matter of what seemed to be a very emotional and distraught moment for Embiid.
The reactions showed that many had little love for him and saw that as a chance to taunt him and call him soft.
Can Joel Embiid redeem himself?
Representing the US at the Paris Olympics, Embiid has shown he is capable of leading his team to victory. Starting as the “5” ahead of relatively more experienced centers than him in Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo, he has performed excellently to bring back gold for Team USA.
Embiid can indeed redeem himself in the eyes of NBA fans. Having shown he has what it takes to be a franchise player, he just needs to be more fortunate and work better with his teammates, so that he can become endear himself to the fans.
While some might be infuriated by his choices regarding his national team allegiance, it goes without saying that his best chances of international silverware are with the United States.
After the Olympic Games, Joel Embiid has hinted at representing Cameroon at the 2028 LA Games. This declaration comes after visiting Cameroon to receive the Order of Valor. Knowing his history of reneging on promises, holding out for hope would be a stretch.
Joel Embiid was awarded the "Order of Valor" in his home country of Cameroon, per @TMZ_Sports pic.twitter.com/Yh3DkaoBeM
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 14, 2024
Since he already has a Gold medal, it may be time to endear himself to the French and make amends for the public humiliation. Adding Embiid to the current French squad might be the x-factor needed to topple the US in 2028.
Whether such brilliance and good fortune would transcend to club level remains to be seen. With the proper acquisition, be it trade moves or draft picks, and continued faith in trusting the process, Embiid is destined for even greater success.
Better results would entail better performances, both on and off the court, and this should be able to redeem him while also gaining more love than hate from fans and media outlets.
Who wrote this?
Bienuoma Agaga-Akpati is a software engineer, writer, eSports player, and sports enthusiast, presently working with a group of ambitious Africans to transform the writing industry. With good knowledge of various sports and eSports, coupled with his keen ability for research, he loves analyzing ideas and topics that fosters the growth of the sport and eSports scenes. In his spare time, he enjoys creating content and engaging in discussions across various platforms.
