Getty Sixers center Joel Embiid made his first start since Jan. 6.
Trust the Model? The man who trademarked the phrase “Trust the Process” now has his sights set on a modeling career. At least, that’s what Joel Embiid hinted at Thursday on Instagram when he posted a series of photos of himself vacationing in the Maldives.
Embiid, who has been enjoying a relaxing offseason that included a trip to China and a fake engagement, hammed it up for the cameras by posing shirtless in the Indian Ocean and on the beach in a series of tongue-in-cheek photos. The 7-foot All-Star center seemed to be poking fun at his critics who claim he’s out of shape and doesn’t adhere to a proper nutrition plan. Embiid famously said he enjoys drinking Shirley Temples and eating mass quantities of Chick-fil-A.
“One night I went out with my teammates,” Embiid said, via NBC Sports. “I don’t drink alcohol so I wasn’t drinking. This girl walked up to me, she was talking to me, she was like, ‘Why aren’t you drinking?’ I was like, ‘I just don’t drink, alcohol is nasty.’ She said, ‘I might have something for you.’ She went and got a Shirley Temple. Then I was like, ‘Ohhh OK.’ Then I fell in love with it and since then, I’ve been drinking it.”
Earlier this summer, Embiid found himself caught in a semi-scandal when a picture of his girlfriend Anne de Paula wearing an engagement ring went viral. Turns out, it wasn’t really an engagement ring and the two were just having fun visiting the Great Wall of China. Embiid loves China and makes frequent visits to the country where he is affectionately known as “The Great Emperor.”
Joel Embiid, aka The Great Emperor, is soaking up the experience (and marketing opportunities) of his first trip to China. “The love I’ve gotten is something I’ve never seen before,” Embiid said. “Like, it’s way bigger than what I see in Philly.”
In terms of a modeling career, Embiid was clearly joking. Maybe. No, he was definitely joking. Either way, the center certainly looks like he’s in shape.
Embiid Getting Money Odds to Win MVP
According to the Westgate Las Vegas Sportsbook, Embiid is getting 16-1 odds to win MVP this season. Bucks guard Giannis Antetokounmpo is the odds-on favorite at 7-2, with Steph Curry (4-1) and James Harden (9-2) next in line. Both LeBron James and Russell Westbrook are in front of the Sixers center at 12-1.
Embiid qualified for his second consecutive NBA All-Star team last year after leading the Sixers to the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. He averaged 27.5 points and 13.6 total rebounds per game in 54 contests while being restricted by “load management.” He was in and out of the playoffs due to a stomach virus.