Joel Embiid candidly confirms that there is no love lost between him and Celtics: "I can't stand them, I hate Boston"

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid got brutally honest about his thoughts about the Boston Celtics. Embiid has played against the Celtics in the postseason multiple times and is aware of how good the team is.

In his Game 4 NBA Finals appearance as a guest analyst on ESPN, Stephen A. Smith asked Embiid about what he felt seeing the Celtics on the brink of winning the Larry O'Brien Trophy. The one-time MVP responded:

​

"I can't stand them," Embiid said. "I hate Boston. Great city, great fans. Obviously, they got some great players but it hurts me a lot. Hopefully, this offseason, we find a way to get better and add some pieces."

The Celtics are one win away from winning the title against the Dallas Mavericks. They took advantage of winning the first three games, giving them a 3-0 lead.

---

Joel Embiid doesn't believe that the Celtics are a dynasty

The Celtics have been contenders for the last few years. For the past three seasons, they've been a staple in the Eastern Conference finals. In 2022, they advanced to the NBA Finals but lost against the Golden State Warriors in six games. Last year, they played a tough seven-game series against the Miami Heat in the conference finals but lost.

This led ESPN's Malika Andrews to ask Joel Embiid if he thinks the Celtics are a dynasty in the league.

​

"I don't think so, not with the new CBA," Embiid said. "The whole East was hurt, myself included."

Embiid played through injury in the first round against the New York Knicks, which the Sixers lost in six games. For the Celtics, they played against a Jimmy Butler-less Miami Heat team in the first round. In the next round, they played the Cleveland Cavaliers, who had an injured Donovan Mitchell in Games 4 and 5.

In the conference finals, Boston swept the Indiana Pacers. In the third and fourth games, All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton was sidelined due to injury. Even the Knicks, a team that didn't play against the Celtics, dealt with injuries.

​