Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid said he called Shaquille O’Neal on Wednesday after receiving criticism from him and Charles Barkley in the wake of a non-dominant performance against the Denver Nuggets. Embiid said Shaq thought he was mad at him, but he wasn’t. They talked about Embiid being more aggressive, according to ESPN's Tim Bontemps.
Embiid had a similar conversation with Barkley after a rousing win over the Boston Celtics, posting 38 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists in the victory. Here's the quick exchange between the two:
Barkley: “Joel, No. 1 one, terrific game tonight. Listen, we don't expect you to get 38 points every night, but we need you to be aggressive. When you're a great player — and you are a great player — you have to set the tone every night. We're not gonna let Ben (Simmons) off the hook either. Ben's got to be more aggressive, especially when you go out of the game.”
Embiid: “I appreciate you. I really listen to what you said and Shaq and I'm gonna keep working. I'm definitely gonna use that and try to get better every single night and bring it every single night.”
“As a fan, that was fun to watch.” 🙌
Chuck & Shaq praise @JoelEmbiid for his performance in Boston. pic.twitter.com/UEgRDXPD4o
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) December 13, 2019
Shaq and Barkley had some harsh criticism for Embiid after he posted 22 points and 10 rebounds against the Nuggets, but they did it knowing the big man is capable of taking over a game and dominating the opposition.
Embiid took those words to heart and admitted they were right, showing just why by carving Boston's defense alive throughout Thursday's game.
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