This video was captured at the Sixers Beach Bash in New Jersey prior to the team starting their season. Embiid and Simmons were the two players that the team brought to show off to the fans, and some lucky fans got to get on the beach court and play with Embiid.
Embiid wasn’t going to let up just because they’re kids, though.
This kid probably thought he had it easy. In his Ben Simmons jersey, he thought he could easily cross up the huge big man and put up an easy shot. Heck, this guy isn’t even playing defense!
Embiid hustles the kid, laying off for the fancy cross-over, but leverages his stature and blocks the kid’s shot so hard that the ball probably almost popped when it hit the ground.
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Disrespectful? Maybe. Competitive? Absolutely.
Looking back at this post in retrospect, we should have known Embiid was going to be a defensive beast this season. I mean, this kid probably wasn’t the best measure for NBA skill, but he must have been close enough, because some of Embiid’s defensive plays don’t look that far off from what happened here.
As for the kid? He either gave up on basketball altogether after this, or used the terror to motivate himself to become better. If that’s the case, let’s hope he gets drafted by the Lakers in 2029 to see Embiid do this to him in the NBA Finals.