The Philadelphia 76ers are playing like they’re not the Philadelphia 76ers of recent past. Center Joel Embiid and rookie point guard Ben Simmons have formed a tag team that has been powering the sudden rise of the Sixers, who are now 12-8 following a 118-113 win on Wednesday over the Washington Wizards, a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference.
Before becoming a star in the NBA, Embiid was in his native country of Cameroon, trying to hone his basketball skills. Perhaps it helped him that the very first NBA game he laid eyes on was one in which Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers were playing the Orlando Magic in the 2009 NBA Finals.
In an appearance on Sixers teammate J.J. Redick’s podcast, Embiid revealed that watching Bryant had left him immensely impressed.
“I was so impressed by Kobe, that’s how I became a big Kobe fan, that’s how I became a big Laker fan too.”
Perhaps it’s a good thing that it was Kobe whom Embiid was watching back in the day. Any aspiring big man could learn plenty of lessons just by observing Kobe’s footwork, particularly when he’s in the post. Embiid must have also picked up a trick or two from the top centers of the NBA back then in Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard.
But if the Sixers are going to thank Kobe for inspiring Embiid, they might as well not forget giving props to Houston Rockets forward Luc Mbah a Moute, the one who discovered Embiid in Cameroon and made it possible for the big man to come over to the United States.
This season, Embiid is averaging 22.9 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game
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