This video is kind of amazing. Take the time to watch it. It represents whatever’s been documented of the first 6 months of Joel’s time in the United States.
It’s so striking how unique Embiid’s journey has been, from the very first moment. On this team, he was literally learning English, learning American culture, and learning basketball — amongst a group of kids that had all been playing for much, much longer. It is so rewarding as a fan of Joel to watch this video and know how things play out til now. He was an afterthought on the end of the bench, a late bloomer exchange student surrounded by can’t-miss prospects.
It blows me away how fast life moved for Joel after he arrived. Transferring HS’s, choosing Kansas, asking if he should redshirt!, getting drafted and sliding into Rihanna’s DMs, sitting 2 years with crazy injuries, losing his brother…
Shirley Temples, videos of him dunking before he was playing, the rookie year, ALL the crazy 6ers shit that happened to him… pick a year… Crazy.
But just like in this video, he betters himself at a dizzying pace. He is almost superhuman in his ability to learn and improve and adapt.
He needs a chip to finish the story. Most of us are more invested in this than what would be considered healthy. It’s the reason r/nba is so infuriating. This man is worth rooting for. The boy in the video is worth rooting for. I am so proud of him. He has earned every good thing that has happened to him. I hope he’s a sixer for life.
by The_Gloamin
