The wild ending of the heavyweight battle between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets got a little chippy towards the end. Joel Embiid and Kevin Durant, the stars of their respective teams, got into it late in the game, as the two played exchanged trash talk. In typical Embiid fashion, he proceeded to wave Durant and the Nets goodbye after sealing the win.

After the game, the Sixers star spoke out about his interaction with the Nets star. Joel Embiid expressed his admiration for Kevin Durant, and that he has a ton of respect for him despite his trash talk. (via Tim Bontemps)

“He says if there’s one player that is as, or more, talented than him in the NBA, it is Durant. Says they are both competitive and that he returned the favor from the last time they met.”

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Embiid's statements are in line with Durant's thoughts on the matter. (via ClutchPoints' Dave Early)

As for Embiid returning the favor, the Sixers star is referencing their last tilt against the Nets this season. In that game, Durant utterly dominated Philadelphia, and the Nets star emphatically told the visiting team to go home. With Embiid exacting revenge against the Nets, it only seemed fair for him to tell his rival to get out.

This is the type of stuff you want to see out of your stars. Joel Embiid has a lot of fun poking the NBA bears and dishing out trash talk against his opponents, but it all comes from a place of respect. The NBA world looks forward to the next time the Sixers and the Nets meet, either in the regular season or in the postseason.