Joel Embiid feels 'freak' injuries derailed his bid for GOAT status: "I’m that talented"
Joel Embiid is undoubtedly one of the most dominant players in the current NBA. However, more often than not, his dominance has been cut short because of injuries. Just days ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Philadelphia 76ers big man sat down with The New York Times’ David Marchese for a lengthy conversation.
In the interview, the topic of the greatest basketball player ever was brought up and Joel Embiid had a very interesting response. He said:
“I think so. I think I’m that talented. Obviously you need to win championships, and to win championships you need other guys. You can’t do it by yourself. I want to win so bad. But if you don’t, you just got to understand that as long as you care about the right stuff, if it doesn’t happen, maybe it wasn’t meant to happen. …
“If you think about it, the thing that stopped me all these years is just freak injuries. Every single playoffs, regular season, people falling on my knee or breaking my face — twice. It’s always freak injuries at the wrong time.”
While what Joel Embiid said is factually true, it’s also important to understand that injuries are just a part and parcel of being a sportsperson. It cannot be denied that the center has been involved in some freak injuries, but much of it comes down to a player’s conditioning as well.
If it weren’t for injuries, Derrick Rose was primed for a career full of accolades. All it took was one freak injury to derail his entire career. Michael Jordan, who is in the GOAT conversation, missed 64 games in his second season after he broke a small bone in his left foot. Steph Curry missed most of his earlier years in the league because of freak ankle injuries.
Thus, it really isn’t about the injuries but how you make a comeback that truly defines the greatest players. And sometimes, sadly, some injuries are just too grave to make a comeback at the highest level, just like Rose’s ACL injury.
Joel Embiid said “it means a lot” to represent U.S.
When Embiid was deciding who to represent on the international stage, he had three options: Cameroon, where he was born, France, where he has a lot of family, and finally the U.S., where he plays professionally. He ultimately decided on the States. Regarding the choice, he said in the same NYT interview:
“It means a lot. I’ve spent half of my life here. I’ve got a great family, great wife, my son, so it just made a lot of sense. I’ve been given the opportunity to be here and accomplish a lot.”
While Joel Embiid did say that Cameroon will always be home for him, his focus now should be to help his other home win Olympic gold. Many have criticized him for choosing the easier path to glory, but if anyone knows Embiid, they know that he likes to troll. And there wouldn’t be a better troll than for him to be the best player on the U.S. roster and lead the team to glory.