Getty Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid and coach Brett Brown
The relationship between Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown and star center Joel Embiid is unquestionably strong. And when Embiid took part in his exit interview after the Sixers were eliminated from the 2019 NBA Playoffs, it wasn’t surprising to hear what he had to say about the recent rumors relating to Brown.
Prior to Game 7 of the team’s second-round series against the Toronto Raptors, rumblings began that Brown could be on the hot seat if the team lost, ultimately falling short of the Eastern Conference Finals. While it took a wild game-winning shot from Kawhi Leonard to end Philadelphia’s season, not much has been said on Brown’s future.
But Embiid was more than willing to address the rumors with one strong statement, as The Athletic’s Rich Hofmann revealed.
“I thought it was bullsh**. He’s done a fantastic job.” Embiid said of Brown, courtesy of Hofmann.
Embiid wasn’t done there either, as he continued to praise Brown during the interview, backing his current coach in every way possible.
Joel Embiid’s Continued Praise, Brett Brown’s History With 76ers
As Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia detailed, the Sixers’ All-Star center proceeded to state that he doesn’t believe Brown should have anything to worry about. Even going beyond that, he made sure to put the blame for Philly’s elimination on himself in an effort to pull that away from Brown, while calling the coach an “amazing coach and better person.”
“If there was someone to blame, put it all on me,” Embiid said while addressing Brown’s job security, per Levick.
Brown has been with the Sixers throughout “The Process,” taking over as the team’s head coach in 2013-14 after being an assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs from 2004-05 to 2012-13. Over the six seasons he’s spent with Philly, Brown’s win-loss record sits at 178-314 but doesn’t tell the entire story.
Follow the Heavy NBA Facebook page for all the latest stories, rumors and viral content!
After a brutal four-year stretch in which the Sixers won 19, 18, 10 and 28 games, which was the core stretch of the team’s full-blown rebuild, he’s helped lead the team to back-to-back playoff berths. Philadelphia has advanced from the first round in each season while going 52-30 in 2017-18 and 51-31 this season.
And for good measure, if not for Leonard’s incredible shot to end the Sixers’ season, they may still be playing and have advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Joel Embiid Receives High Praise
After another impressive season from the 24-year-old center, one of his newest teammates in Greg Monroe offered strong praise for Embiid. As exit interviews for the Sixers rolled along, Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia revealed a comment from Monroe about how Embiid can be an “all-time great.”
Greg Monroe says he thinks Joel Embiid has the potential to be “an all-time great.”
Embiid wrapped up the 2018-19 season by posting career-marks in a number of statistical categories. He not only averaged a career-high 33.7 minutes over 64 regular-season games but posted marks of 27.5 points, 13.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.9 rebounds. Embiid shot 48.4 percent from the field and 80.4 percent from the free throw line, both of which are career-best numbers.
READ NEXT: WATCH: Drake Uses Curse to Help Raptors, Wears Sixers Gear for Game 7