The Sixer Sense
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Joel Embiid wants to be like Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan

By Christopher Kline

PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 1: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers talks to Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers prior to the game on December 1, 2015 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 1: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers talks to Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers prior to the game on December 1, 2015 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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Joel Embiid said he wants to retire as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers.

Few people have captured the spirit of Philadelphia and it’s fanbase like Joel Embiid. From ‘Trust the Process’ rallying cries to the hope he gave a once-hopeless franchise, he may be the city’s most important cultural figure — at least in the basketball realm — since Allen Iverson.

He embraced a cycle of losing and rebuilding like few players would, and in the process (no pun intended) has become one of the NBA’s most beloved figures. He’s fun on social media, fun on the court, and tends to keep us entertained with just about everything else in between.

All of that goes without mentioning his talent, which is quickly approaching transcendent. Even with an iffy start to the 2017-18 campaign, he has established himself in the same conversation as DeMarcus Cousins and Karl-Anthony Towns as one of the best centers in the league.

He’s an incomparable defensive force, while his offensive versatility is quickly regaining form. He’s still young with some kinks to work out, but the holes in his game are few and far between. When asked by reporters if he wanted to spend his career with one franchise, Embiid set some lofty standards for himself.

Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki. That’s one heck of a crowd to put yourself with, and Embiid — as talented as he is — will be hard-pressed to reach that echelon on any team. But the mere fact that he wants to stay in Philly, and is willing to throw out those names as examples, is a promising sign of where his goals and commitment stand.

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Health issues with always be a nagging possibility for a big of Embiid’s stature with his injury history, but a healthy JoJo is more than capable of putting up Hall of Fame-caliber numbers for the next 10-plus years. He showed off that potential last season, and should continue flashing it as this season gets underway.

If he’s as committed to Philly as he has made it seem in recent years, there’s no reason not to at least hope for one of those storybook-esque careers, in which Embiid stays healthy and at the helm of a consistently competitive Sixers team. They’re already trending towards the playoffs, next year if not this year, and have the talent around him to sustain that kind of success for the foreseeable future.

Kobe and Dirk spent 20 years with their respective franchises, and Dirk could tack on a couple more. Duncan spent 19 in San Antonio. That’s a long timeline for Embiid to set, and these kind of comments don’t mean much this early in his career, but it’s rare to see somebody of Embiid’s caliber buy into the culture of a single city the way he has so far.

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We’ll see how his health holds up and where his production goes, but we at least know one thing: Embiid wants to be with the Philadelphia 76ers for a long time.