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After the Philadelphia 76ers failed to close out the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals after going up 3-2, Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green decided to troll Sixers star Joel Embiid for choking away a playoff lead.
On his personal Instagram story, Green posted a video of a Sixers press conference from the 2018-19 NBA Playoffs, where Embiid took a jab at the Warriors for blowing a 3-1 lead in the 2016 NBA Finals. In the press conference, Embiid said the following.
“It was really important because you wanted to get this one and go home, then try to finish it, so it feels good to be up 3-1, so we definitely don’t want to be in the situation like the Warriors two years ago,” Embiid said.
While posting the video, Green added a caption that said, “This hasn’t aged to(o) well Jo,” per ClutchPoints Twitter account.
The press conference in question was after Game 4 of the Sixers’ first-round matchup against the Brooklyn Nets in which the Sixers would go on to win in five games.
Nikola Jokic Comes to Joel Embiid’s Defense
Two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic helped the Denver Nuggets reach their first NBA Finals when they swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2023 Western Conference Finals. During his postgame press conference, not only did Jokic downplay the MVP award, but he defended Embiid winning it in 2023.
“I don’t think about MVPs anymore,” Jokic said. “I think people are just mean in saying Embiid shouldn’t have won it. He should have won it. I think he was playing extremely tough basketball all season…He was really amazing in 82 games, or how many games he played.”
Jokic finished second behind Embiid in MVP voting after Embiid finished second behind Jokic over the past two years. While Embiid received some criticism for failing to show up when the Sixers needed him most during the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Jokic stepped up for the Nuggets to help sweep the Lakers. His 30 points, 14 rebounds, and 13 assists helped propel the Nuggets past the Lakers.
Insider Refutes Report of Joel Embiid-Knicks Rumor
After Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that James Harden was expected to make his return to the Houston Rockets on May 19, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News reported that the New York Knicks have interest in acquiring Embiid this season, and the interest has grown since the Sixer’s elimination.
“Been told since midseason that Joel Embiid is the guy to watch for the Knicks, and Philly’s playoff flameout only intensified that belief,” Bondy wrote.
When asked about this report, NBA Insider Marc Stein revealed in a Substack chat with fans that there are no legs to an Embiid trade to the Knicks, but that could change in time.
“Embiid to New York is strictly in the media chatter phase as we speak. There are no legs to it … YET. Could that change? Of course,” Stein wrote.
It may all depend on if Harden leaves as he’s expected to. The Sixers won’t have the cap room to replace him with a star free agent, but they have Tobias Harris’ expiring contract to offer for a star.
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