Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid arguably played his most productive game for Team USA on Saturday against Puerto Rico , but the hatred from French fans continued.
With less than 20 seconds remaining, the 30-year-old asked for boos to continue pouring in. Once the defense collapsed on him, he took it a step further by airballing a near-half-court shot .
Embiid spoke out following the blowout victory about just how little the crowd reactions bother him.
"At the end of the day, I think a lot of people think it’s hate. I see it as love and respect. If I wasn’t an OK basketball player, I would not receive that type of treatment," Embiid shared with EuroHoops . "So I see myself as being blessed, and that’s why I interact with them. I interact with that type of crowd and that type of stuff because, like I said, I’m blessed to be here. And I’ve seen worse."
He finished the day with 15 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks on 6 of 14 shooting. Embiid's right, very few players in the world gather as much attention as him. Although it's often negative , the focus would not come without the incredible levels of talent.
When asked if Philadelphia fans also fall into this category of booing, Embiid said , "They boo their own guys, more than their opponents. Sometimes it feels like our fans are more against us when they’re supposed to be against our opponent. But like I said, it’s all love. It’s all because they want to push you. They want you to do better. Just like with this crowd. I enjoy it because it makes me want to be better and do more and do whatever it takes to win."
The beginning of Embiid's remark is going viral across social media, as numerous people are pulling it out of context. It's clear the 76ers superstar loves the Philly community regardless of their reaction because they always expect him to play to his potential, an MVP.
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