"What’s so funny" - Giannis Antetokounmpo fumes at media outlet for mocking Joel Embiid's failure speech
Giannis Antetokounmpo wasn't a fan of a media outlet mocking Joel Embiid after the Philadelphia 76ers' Game 7 loss to the Boston Celtics on Sunday.
Embiid reflected on the Sixers' failure to get past the conference semis again, saying it was a valuable learning experience for him and his team:
"Like someone said. It’s not a failure; it’s steps to success."
ESPN's "SportsCenter" uploaded a snippet of Embiid's comments, captioning it with laughing emojis. Antetokounmpo appeared in the comments section to defend Embiid.
"What's so funny @sportscenter," he asked.
Here's the post below:
Antetokounmpo himself went on a passionate rant a few days ago after a reporter asked if the Milwaukee Bucks' season was a failure after they failed to get past the Miami Heat in the first round. The Bucks entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed after finishing with a league-best 58-24 record.
Here's what Giannis said:
“There’s no failure in sports. There’s good days, bad days. Some days you are able to be successful; some days you are not. Some days it is your turn; some days it’s not. That’s what sports is about. You don’t always win.”
“There’s no failure in sports. There’s good days, bad days, some days you are able to be successful, some days you are not, some days it is your turn, some days it’s not. That’s what sports is about. You don’t always win.”
Giannis comments on “failure” https://t.co/QxqkuSMP7b
Giannis Antetokounmpo's comments resonated with many athletes around the world.
Embiid, meanwhile, could be seen smirking while quoting his rival, which may have taken away from the message.
Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers have struggled far more than Giannis Antetokounmpo's Milwaukee Bucks
The Philadelphia 76ers have not been able to break their jinx in the playoffs. While the Milwaukee Bucks put an end to their own struggles and won the championship in 2021, the Sixers haven't gotten past the second round.
Philly's last three seasons have ended in Game 7 defeats. This year, the 76ers retooled their roster in the best possible way, surrounding Embiid and James Harden with pieces that fit and turned them into a contender.
Full Joel Embiid quote when he was asked about James Harden below. https://t.co/BBnXrP1fIZ
The Philadelphia 76ers blew a chance to close the series against the Celtics at home in Game 6 after taking a commanding 3-2 lead. They've repeatedly struggled with the same issues, including a failure to make adjustments.
Joel Embiid, his former All-Star teammate Ben Simmons and current co-star James Harden all failed to deliver when it mattered the most during the knockouts.
Game 7 against the Celtics was no different. Embiid scored 15 points, while Harden had nine. Both players shot 27% in the 112-88 loss.