Getty Joel Embiid attends Michael Rubin's MLBPA x Fanatics party at City Market Social House on July 18, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.
The Philadelphia Phillies have stolen the spotlight of Philly sports for the moment. The franchise cracked its 11-season playoff drought and is making a strong statement that they are not finished yet by advancing to the NLCS for the first time since 2010. They defeated the defending champion Braves in four games in front of an electric home crowd.
Tobias Harris is posted up at the Phillies game today. He posted this on his IG story. #Sixers
The excitement that has caught on with fans around the city has made its waves to the Sixers players as well. Tobias Harris and Georges Niang attended the Game 3 NLDS matchup at Citizens Bank Bank on Friday. Joel Embiid followed suit by attending the Game 4 victory and shared a cool moment with the crowd where he flashed his new Phillies jersey and was showered with ‘MVP’ chants.
Phillies and Sixers Ties
There has been a variety of back-and-forth interactions on social media between the Sixers and the Phillies. Tyrese Maxey attended a game a few weeks ago and hinted he may have been in attendance at the playoff matchup although there was no evidence on social media. During the regular season, Maxey attended a game and even hopped on the Phillies broadcast. This has been one of many stops on his tour of Philly sports teams this offseason.
Tyrese Maxey is at the game tonight #Phillies
It is especially cool to see Embiid joining in on the festivities. The superstar has been known to keep to himself and is not seen in the public eye very often. It is clear that Phillies fever has become incredibly infectious and that not even Embiid can keep it away.
Embiid’s Season Outlook
The offseason fun will soon be put to a halt as the Sixers season is set to begin on Tuesday. The team will be tested right away with matchups with the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks as their first two challenges.
While there were a number of notable additions and storylines surrounding the Sixers this offseason, it is still clear that Embiid is the centerpiece of the organization. The MVP runner-up remains the most important part of the team on both sides of the floor, and there is reason for optimism that the new addition will further unlock the superstar. The Sixers organization has struggled to put the proper pieces around Embiid in previous years and players like P.J. Tucker, Danuel House Jr., and De’Anthony Melton will make a positive impact in this regard.
Joel Embiid had 5 set of eyes on him in the paint 👀
It also cannot be forgotten the historic season the superstar is coming off. The Kansas product averaged 30.6 points, 11.7 rebounds, 4.2 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, and 1.1 steals last season. He was the first big man to lead the NBA in scoring since Shaquille O’Neal during the 1999-2000 season. Embiid had 13 games with 40+ points and 10+ rebounds and was the only player in the NBA to register a game with 40+ points and 20+ rebounds last season.
If he can play at or near this level once again, which he showed signs of in the preseason finale, the Sixers’ outlook for the season will be extremely positive. Embiid enters the season as the second favorite in MVP odds. He has been open about not caring about individual awards this season, but his strong play will certainly keep him in the discussion.