Joel Embiid’s confidence is something special

Joel Embiid is ready to play — and Philadelphia 76ers fans should be excited.

Disappointment. It’s what the vast majority of Philadelphia 76ers fans felt when it was announced that Joel Embiid had sustained a season-ending knee injury, and something that many of them hope to avoid next season. The Cameroonian was undisputably among the best bigs — if not players — in the league last season. Now health is the primary goal.

With 31 games under his belt after three seasons in the league, injury concerns are valid. They’re what dropped Embiid to No. 41 in Sports Illustrated Top 100, as well as what spark some of the most vicious criticism sent in his direction. National pundits regularly question whether or not he’ll be able to produce at a high level for an extended period of time, and with that comes some blatantly unfair critique.

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One truism that’s universally understood, however, is that Embiid the person is awesome. He’s thoroughly entertaining off the court, with social media shade and mocking recruitment pitches accompanying one of the most energetic and fun-loving people in sports. He’s a genuine joy to cover.

Part of the ambiance that comes with keeping up with Embiid translates onto the court as well — in the form of confidence. He’s willing to go toe-to-toe with virtually anybody thrown his way, and isn’t afraid to throw out some trash talk (or mocking behavior) either. He’s the type of guy who stands behind Karl-Anthony Towns making a ‘T’ sign while Minnesota’s star argues with the ref, and the one who said Steven Adams couldn’t guard him — during his first career NBA game.

There’s obviously a fine line between confidence and cocky, but the former is something that can be invaluable for a star player. There will always been gifted players, both skill-wise and physically, but they don’t always hold the mental edge that Embiid so clearly gained last season.

Embiid carries himself in a way few people do on both sides of the ball. His edginess shows out on defense, while his ability to single-handedly overwhelm opposing players in isolation is aided significantly by the fact that he knows he can overwhelm those players. He doesn’t shy away from contact or aggressiveness, which in and of itself is difficult when you consider the injuries he went through to see the court again.

There’s a certain benefit to understanding and embracing just how dominant oneself can be. Embiid has fun with the game, and he does so while acknowledging his ability to win individual matchups across the spectrum when needed.

All of that confidence leads to Tweets like this.

Embiid takes criticism is stride like few players can. He manages to drop jokes while still defending his game, all while reminding fans to Trust The Process. His simple embrace of that moniker, given the meaning behind it, adds to the special feeling that surrounds him as both a player and a person.

With all the rehab he went through to get here, Embiid has had his share of hardships. There were times where it didn’t look like he was in good enough shape to make his NBA debut, while lingering foot concerns led many to dub him the next Greg Oden. All of those irrational and premature thoughts boiled over into what was a genuine celebration of The Process — both for and for Sixers fans — during his historic run last season.

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He’s one of the best players in the league, and it doesn’t look like he intends to let anybody forget that.