With the 2019 NBA Playoffs heating up and many of the top-tier players taking center stage, Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid has been a talking point. The All-Star center has battled a knee ailment and a few illnesses during the Sixers’ playoff run, but another thing which has stood out is his silence on social media.
Embiid, who has spent plenty of time trolling opposing players on social media over the years, has gone silent for the most part since the start of the playoffs. And at a time when players draw major attention, it couldn’t have come at a worse time for those fans curious about his personal life. More specifically, the world wants to know more about Embiid and rumored girlfriend Anne de Paula.
Embiid and de Paula have been linked since before the 2018-19 NBA season when they were spotted together during the preseason at the NBA China Games, as the NBA showed.
@JoelEmbiid & @BenSimmons25 arrive for @sixers ahead of #NBAChinaGames!
Since that point, the two have gotten closer, and one of the last things we saw related to the two involved a puppy coming into the mix. So we’re going to breakdown the latest on Embiid and de Paula as the NBA playoffs roll on.
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Sixers Owner Essentially Confirms Joel Embiid & Anne de Paula Dating
While the rumblings around Embiid and de Paula’s relationship began in early October of 2018, Sixers co-owner Michael Rubin all but confirmed the relationship shortly after. Rubin posted a photo of the Sixers star and Sports Illustrated model kissing on Instagram saying “what a lovely couple” with a sarcastic “congrats on your engagement.”
After that point, there wasn’t a ton that was made public on the relationship between Embiid and de Paula until Valentines Day rolled around. Valentines Day was when it was safe to roll hop on board with the two being officially together, as the model showed some love to the Sixers big man on Instagram.
Anne de Paula Shows Appreciation for Embiid on Valentines Day
Roughly four and a half months after the two were spotted at the NBA China Games, de Paula posted two photos with Embiid on social media featuring a message of appreciation. It was as close to a coming out party for a relationship as you’ll find.
The relationship is apparently out in the public eye, literally, as de Paula also posted a video of her and Embiid singing karaoke during what appeared to be the Sixers star’s birthday celebration. She again sent a nice message to Embiid showing her love for the big man.
There doesn’t appear to be any change in the status between the two, and on April 1, de Paula posted a photo thanking everyone for sending her birthday wishes. In the post, she said she had a spa day with her mom, her “lover” and friends, a post which Embiid also liked on Instagram.
Just under two weeks before that, Embiid was caught on camera trying to teach his new puppy, Klaus Hinkie, how to lick, but it’s unknown if de Paula is the other person in the video with him. Andrew Greth of NBC Sports Philadelphia first revealed the post on social media.
Unless something new has come to light in the past month or so, it appears Embiid and de Paula are going as strong as ever. Unfortunately, the NBA playoffs may have taken the Sixers star out of the spotlight for anything non-basketball related for a few months.
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Joel Embiid & Anne de Paula Dating: Latest on Sixers Center and Model