“Joel Embiid will never win a championship until”: Lakers legend gives Sixers’ star a reality check after return from 193 days hiatus

TOI Sports Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Nov 13, 2024, 09:11 IST

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NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal criticizes Joel Embiid's performance and attitude following his return from a 193-day hiatus. Embiid, who recently rejoined the Philadelphia 76ers after recovering from a knee injury and serving a suspension, had a lackluster performance in his first game back.

“Joel Embiid will never win a championship until”: Lakers legend gives Sixers’ star a reality check after return from 193 days hiatus

Image via: AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File

Joel Embiid’s return from his 193 days of hiatus has been one of the most discussed NBA news of recent times. The return of the Philadelphia 76ers star also grabbed headlines as all eyes are on the 7-foot-tall star player hoping that he will lead the team to win future matches. However, NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal gave him a reality check following his poor performance in the first match after his return to the court.

Joel Embiid got a reality check from NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal

In their NBA Cup opener, the Sixers faced off against the NY Knicks.

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Amid the heated rivalry, Joel Embiid's return was supposed to be the spark of the match as all eyes were locked on the star. However, the star center struggled to find his rhythm in his return game.
In the first half, Embiid attempted just three shots but to the surprise of all fans and critics, he missed all of them. His slow start caught the attention of Lakers legend, O’Neal and he didn’t hold back during the halftime show. O’Neal reflected on Embiid's return while breaking down his performance alongside the Inside crew.

“This is the fear I have for Joel Embiid. You announce arrogantly, ‘I’m not playing back-to-back. I’m not injured. I’m sore. I come in when I want to come back.’ Now when you say things like that, you’re supposed to come back with extra energy,” O’Neal said of Embiid. “0-3 (FG), I would have been 0-15 (FG), you know what they’d say, ‘Hey, Shaq is not playing well but he is aggressive’… I say this respectfully Joel Embiid will never win a championship until he gets his mind and his attitude right,” the NBA icon added.
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Embiid has been sidelined for all nine games this season, first due to a knee injury he sustained against the Warriors on January 30. On top of that, he recently served a three-game suspension for an altercation with columnist Marcus Hayes, which escalated into a heated exchange and a shove. Regardless, fans expect the star power of the team to deliver his top-notch performance to rescue the team, they are currently at 2-8.

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TOI Sports Desk

The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide. From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more. The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics. We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects. We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.

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