Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid once again saw his season end bitterly after dropping Game 7 to the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday.

The Sixers had several chances to get the victory and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals but they simply couldn't close out the gritty Hawks. Embiid was once again visibly dejected after the contest. But unlike his tearful exit before, which expectedly became a meme, the outspoken Embiid was more even-keeled this time.

After their defeat, he took to Twitter to express his gratitude to Sixers fans and pointed out that he did everything he could in the NBA Playoffs, even though he was playing hurt.

“PHILLY I LOVE YOU Sorry to disappoint you again Just know that I gave everything I had knowing the circumstances. If there’s one thing I’ve learned being here, it’s the TOUGHNESS this city has and that’s why I played with a torn meniscus. THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT ALL YEAR LONG!!”

Hard to get mad at that.

The 27-year-old Embiid had his best season so far, finishing among the top three MVP candidates. He finished with 31 points and 11 rebounds in Game 7 against the Hawks but also committed eight turnovers, including a costly one in the dying moments, which led to a Danilo Gallinari dunk. It proved to be the dagger that doomed the Sixers.

But as Embiid pointed out, he battled it out despite his torn meniscus, which he suffered in the first round. Plus with the horrible play of Ben Simmons, Embiid indeed carried much of the load for the Sixers.

It's clear Joel Embiid feels heavy after another premature exit. But like most superstars, it's a burden he has to carry. Hopefully, it will only make him more motivated to bounce back.