Joel Embiid has evolved from one of the most dominant scorers in today's NBA to the most divisive. Philadelphia 76ers fans believe that he can be the leader of a championship team under Nick Nurse. Others think that Embiid is too injury-prone to make a serious run in the postseason. While talking with Zach Randolph, Shaquille O'Neal took a jab at the former MVP.

O'Neal and Randolph had their fair share of battles throughout their NBA careers. Both players share a tough, physical mentality that helped them dominate down low in a very physical era of the game. On Thursday's episode of The Big Podcast with Shaq, O'Neal and Randolph spoke about which players could have had success in their era.

Both centers agreed that Julius Randle and Ivica Zubac could have held their own. However, when Randolph brought up Embiid's name, O'Neal scoffed. The four-time NBA champion went on to explain that the 76ers' center is too soft when battling in the paint.

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“Is he mean?” O'Neal asked about Embiid. “Cause I came at him one day, and his response was ‘Guys don't play like that no more.' I'm like ‘Motherf****r what? The f*** you talking about?' Like bro, go inside, punish… I was like ‘I'm done even talking to you.'”

When he is healthy, Embiid is a formidable presence on the interior. He led the 76ers out of their famous rebuild and took them to the postseason in seven straight seasons. However, O'Neal pointed out to Randolph that his lack of attitude down low leads him to let his opponents off too easily.

The 76ers had a rough season thanks to injuries to Embiid and Paul George. However, Nurse and the team have a plan in place for their star trio this offseason. Philadelphia fans hope that the team can bounce back strong. They are one team that could take advantage of a weak Eastern Conference in the 2025-26 season.

Embiid staying on the court and being aggressive will go a long way in determining just how far they can go.