The Best Thing That Happened This Week: Embiid, Indeed!
Joel Embiid showcased his potential in his preseason debut. | Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
For years there had been whispered rumors: tales of a mythical being, huge, fierce, intimidating, capable of striking fear into strong men’s hearts. He’d been sighted in Camden. New York City. Las Vegas. Qatar. Dubai. One place he hadn’t been seen: on a basketball court in South Philly with the team that drafted him nearly two and a half years ago.
There were doubters. Many, many, many, many, many, many doubters. People who’d been burned by tales of other such beings that turned out to be false. Who could blame them for their skepticism? An entire city that had had the rug yanked out from under it, over and over again.
Yet there he was, at long last, last Tuesday. In person. In the flesh. In the uniform! And—wonder of wonders—he was even better than we had dared hope. “Dreamy,” opined the Big Lead. “Exciting!” said Business Insider. He “shines”! “Looks strong”! “Flashes of brilliance”! Joel “The Process” Embiid made his debut with the Sixers. Nothing broke. And omigod, we won the game.
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