Getty Sixers star Joel Embiid picked Devin Booker on his All-Trash Talk Team.
Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid is living his best life this summer. He got the “tough guy” teammate he wanted in P.J. Tucker, plus the triumphant return of a highly motivated James Harden. The Sixers are once again among the favorites in the Eastern Conference.
Embiid has been eerily quiet this offseason, aside from a tweet that may have been about Kevin Durant. He has chosen to fly under the radar. But it’s hard for a 7-footer to go unnoticed at a huge celebrity wedding, especially when he’s out there mixing it up on the dance floor.
He was spotted doing the traditional Jewish Hora dance on July 16 during Michael Ratner and Lauren Rothberg’s wedding in Napa Valley, California.
Joel Embiid dancing the Hora is the only thing I want to see on social media this week.
Embiid was seen getting lifted in the chair with a bridesmaid while smiling gleefully for the cameras. The crowd was loving every minute of it.
Mazel tov Joel Embiid!
How many people did it take to lift that chair!
JoJo doing the Hora. This is epic
🎥 Gabby Blauner
Embiid appeared to be one of Ratner’s groomsmen, along with Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker and retired NBA player Chandler Parsons. Booker, accompanied by Kendall Jenner, is standing next to Embiid in one viral photo. Wonder what they were talking about? Remember, Jenner once dated Ben Simmons.
Joel Embiid was the real MVP of the Michael Ratner-Lauren Rothberg wedding in Napa Valley. Wonder if he tried to recruit Devin Booker to Philadelphia? #Sixers #HereTheyCome
And Embiid and Booker have been extra friendly this summer at parties and in interviews. Ratner is a Hollywood filmmaker who worked on a 2016 documentary chronicling Embiid’s journey from Cameroon to Kansas.
Parsons posted some great videos of the wedding party starting “chaos” on the dance floor. Embiid can be seen belting out out “Father Stretch My Hands” by rap legend Kanye West in one scene.
Joel Embiid living his best life. 😂
(via @ChandlerParsons)
#76ers
The latest Sixers news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Sixers newsletter here!
Embiid, Parsons Share Tight Friendship
It’s no surprise that Parsons was the one posting the best Embiid photos. The former Houston Rockets draft pick developed a strong friendship with Embiid in 2015. Both men were rehabbing from injuries — Parsons from microfracture surgery; Embiid from foot surgery — when they met in Los Angeles. There was an instant connection over basketball and a shared sense of humor.
“That’s my guy. That’s one of my best friends. We always joke around,” Embiid said of Parsons in 2016, via NBC Sports Philadelphia. “He helped me. I think he was hurt at the same time. He told me, take my time, make sure you don’t push anything.”
Joel Embiid playfully trash-talks on Chandler Parsons’ Instagram page before preseason game 😂 t.co/neHCB5nAK0
Embiid Officially Becomes French Citizen
Embiid officially became a French citizen last week after beginning the naturalization process in May, according to BeBasket. Why is that a big deal? Because it means Embiid could potentially play in the 2024 Summer Olympics for the French national team. He could form a dominating center tandem with Rudy Gobert for the reigning silver-medal winners.
Joel Embiid has officially obtained French 🇫🇷 nationality and is eligible for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup and the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The 28-year old was born in Yaounde. Big loss for Cameroonian 🇨🇲 basketball!
📷: @FIBA
Embiid is a native of Cameroon, a French-speaking nation in Africa, and has talked about which country he might represent in previous interviews. The finalists would include France, Cameroon, and the United States. The risk for injury would be higher in Cameroon due to their health-care issues. Embiid went on record saying the Sixers would have a say in the matter.
“My current team which has invested $150 million on me will also have its say,” Embiid said, via Yahoo! Sports. “It is a lot of money to let their player go in an environment without a good medical care. So, my native country, France, and the United States are my current options.”