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Joel Embiid is someone who wears his emotions on his sleeve. Perhaps a little bit too much.
The Philadelphia 76ers big man is known for beefing with anyone who crosses his path, whether that is a notable star like Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook or a little-known role player like Boston Celtics center Aron Baynes.
To put it plainly, Embiid sure talks a heck of a lot for a guy who hasn't really won anything yet, and recently, he placed a title on himself to which MVP frontrunner Giannis Antetokounmpo did not take too kindly. The title of “the most unstoppable player of the league.”
Embiid declared that about himself last month, not long before a meeting with Antetokounmpo's Milwaukee Bucks this past Thursday.
Milwaukee ended up winning the game by a score of 128-122, and in doing so, Giannis sent a pretty significant message to Embiid, blocking him four times and racking up 45 points, 13 rebounds and six assists.
To be fair, Embiid was fantastic in the loss, finishing with 34 points, 13 boards and an incredible 13 dimes, but in the end, it was The Greek Freak who get the better of the 76ers center.
Before the meeting, Antetokounmpo said that no player should say anything that brash about themselves and should, instead, let others put labels on them.
Antetokounmpo has a point.
The Bucks star has been a dominant force throughout the entirety of the 2018-19 campaign and has been the driving force in Milwaukee nailing down the best record in the NBA.
Sure, the Bucks have some other nice pieces, like Khris Middleton, Eric Bledsoe and the now injured Malcolm Brogdon, but let's face it: without Antetokounmpo, that team is pedestrian, which is why Giannis is one of the top candidates for the MVP award along with James Harden.
But the most impressive part about Antetokounmpo during his remarkable run this season is that he has kept his mouth shut. As outstanding as he has been, he has not bragged about his abilities or his team. Yes, he shows fierce emotion on the court and isn't afraid to mix it up, but once the game is over, Antetokounmpo is as humble as you can get.
Then you have Embiid, who, for some reason, thought it was a good look to continue ripping the aforementioned Baynes after the Celtics defeated the 76ers in five games in last year's playoffs, with Baynes doing a phenomenal defensive job on Embiid in the process (no pun intended).
He has also drawn the ire of players like Westbrook and Detroit Pistons big man Andre Drummond, seemingly going out of his way just to create beefs.
There is nothing wrong with confidence, but in the case of Embiid, it is unwarranted arrogance. Philadelphia has won nothing yet, and it seems hard to imagine the Sixers getting past the second round of the playoffs this spring.
So, really, if there is a beef brewing between Embiid and Antetokounmpo, it's a beef that Giannis probably doesn't care about very much. I'm sure he definitely was aiming to send a message to Embiid in the last meeting between the two stars, but from this point forward, Antetokounmpo will surely have his eyes on the prize.
Embiid? Who knows. Only he knows for sure whether or not his behavior is serious or just all-time great trolling, but based on his history, it really seems like Embiid cares more about winning his personal battles than he does about his actual team.
It was funny and entertaining at first. Embiid was incredibly likeable during the 76ers' down years when they were still trying to build their squad from the ground up. But now that Philly is actually a good team, his need to constantly open his mouth, whether it's to declare himself the best or to blame the referees for a loss, is grating on irritating.
At this point, it seems like most are still okay with Embiid, claiming that his personality is a welcome addition to the NBA, but the longer Embiid goes without actually winning anything, the more people will start to grow tired of his act.
Antetokounmpo pretty much sidestepped the question when asked about his thoughts on Embiid's declaration. His answer was very diplomatic, as he gave Embiid credit for being a really good player, but from his response, you could tell that Giannis was thinking, “Man, really?”
He doesn't really care about any of that nonsense.
For Giannis, it's about winning a championship and getting better and better every day. Not about campaigning for yourself to be named the league's most unstoppable player.
