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Only 16 current NBA players have a signature shoe — and no franchise centers have one. Until now. Process that.
In a history-making announcement on the final day of Under Armour’s Human Performance Summit, Joel Embiid teased the release of his Under Armour Embiid 1 series. The first installment of the stylish new sneaker line has been dubbed “Origin” and will be released in late 2020.
It will be a tribute to both his native Cameroon and his own colorful basketball journey. According to ESPN’s Nick DePaula, the Embiid 1 features a “volcano’s eruption on the side of the shoe and an outline of Africa on the heel, the first point of contact for anyone wearing it.”
Embiid’s intention was to turn heads with the shoe’s “mid-cut, mesh-based” design, adding that he didn’t make it solely for big men. The 7-footer inked a lucrative five-year footwear and apparel endorsement deal with Under Armour in 2018 that made him the highest-paid player at his position.
“It’s been a long and great process,” Embiid told ESPN. “It’s not a big man shoe. It’s a shoe for any basketball player.”
The Embiid 1 “Origin” is the first sneaker in an expanding series that will be released sporadically throughout the 2020-21 season. Each one will feature different colors and “spotlight a critical moment from Joel’s emerging career,” per an Under Armour press release. Embiid took fans behind the scenes in a Twitter video.
Embiid Recovering from Torn Ligament in Hand
Joel Embiid underwent successful surgery on Friday afternoon to repair a “torn radial collateral ligament of the fourth metacarpal on his left hand,” per NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Noah Levick.
The All-Star center is expected to miss one to two weeks before being re-evaluated. Embiid originally dislocated his finger on Jan. 6 against the Oklahoma City Thunder yet remained in the game and finished with 18 points and nine rebounds.
The Sixers have gone 1-2 since the injury with Al Horford and Norvel Pelle seeing an uptick in minutes during Embiid’s absence. The whole team has vowed to band together and not use it as an excuse.
“All of a sudden, we’re different,” head coach Brett Brown said, via CBS Sports. “We’re just different. I look at this as an opportunity. Nobody’s crying. This is not a ‘woe is me’ moment, not for me, at all. And not for my players. We’ll take what we have, and what we have, I love.”
Rookie Messes Up Sixers’ Favorite Fast-Food Order
One of the duties of a rookie in the NBA is running errands for the veterans. In Philadelphia, that means making fried chicken runs to Popeyes and Chick-fil-A and one player didn’t follow the rules.
Matisse Thybulle — aka “Mathief” — was sent on a food run on Friday afternoon and returned with just six biscuits for 20 people. The math didn’t add up and guys like Tobias Harris and Kyle O’Quinn let the first-round pick know about it. He was also criticized for only bringing back French fries from Chick-fil-A when everyone wanted fries from Popeyes.
Man, it’s tough being a rookie these days in any sport. Remember, the Sixers take their chicken rituals seriously as evidenced by Joel Embiid’s very specific order last year. Maybe they should try KFC nex time.
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