Getty Images Joel Embiid pumping up the crowd
Who said that Philly fans were the absolute worst? Okay, so maybe the crowd over in South Philly doesn’t play nice with opposing fans or fictional characters. But they definitely treat their own like family. It’s no secret that Joel Embiid has become one of the biggest stars in the city of Philadelphia. And for that, everybody that is associated with the center automatically receives love from the home crowd.
This past Friday night, the Philadelphia 76ers hosted the Washington Wizards. As always, the Sixers fans showed up, and the home-court advantage was massive as the Wizards took a beating to Philly. The final score was great for the Sixers, but everybody couldn’t stop talking about Ben Simmons and Jimmy Butler’s matching headbands.
Believe it or not, the matching headbands wasn’t even the coolest part about Friday’s game at the Wells Fargo Center though. Instead, the best moment was about the love that the Philadelphia fans showed Joel Embiid’s dad, Thomas Embiid. Recently, Mr. Embiid retired after serving 34 years with the Cameroon Military. For that, the Sixers sat him courtside to watch his son play.
Thomas Embiid Gets a Great View
Sixers recognize Joel Embiid’s father for his retirement at the game:
Like many other NBA teams, the Sixers always tend to have a special guest or two to throw up there on the jumbotron. But it’s not every day that a players father becomes the guest of honor. Seeing as though this guest was the father of Joel Embiid, Sixers fans showed a ton of love to the retiring veteran.
Don’t think that it all went unnoticed by the Sixers big man either. Despite being locked into the game, Embiid was well-aware of what the Philadelphia fans were cheering for when they put his dad on display. Although he didn’t get to react until after the game, Joel had some very nice words for the Philadelphia fans during his postgame press conference on Friday.
Embiid Responds to the Brotherly Love
Sixers Fans gave Joel Embiid’s dad a standing ovation!
@JoelEmbiid:
“It’s great… Philly fans, they’re so passionate and they show a lot of love. You know every time they show my dad’s at the game they always show him a lot of love, so I really appreciated that”
Fortunately for Thomas Embiid, he got to watch his son put two stellar performances on display against the New York Knicks, and the Washington Wizards. Although he was the honorary guest at the Wizards game though, he didn’t get to see Joel play as much. While everything is well with the big man, the game was pretty much decided early on, so the Sixers gave Embiid, who played only a total of 22 minutes some much-needed rest on Friday.
Despite the lack of playing time though, the Embiid family seems happy with how everything went in Philly on Friday. Those fans may not have the best rep to the national media, but you can’t deny the brotherly love towards those who are associated with their own. For that, Joel Embiid continues to remain grateful for his city.