Joel Embiid showed nothing but maturity when the Philadelphia 76ers star rejected Rihanna.
Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid is enjoying himself very much during this breakout season. The potential was always there, and Embiid showed incredible flashes when healthy last season. Yet he has managed to exceed lofty expectations this year while enjoying a clean bill of health (knock on wood) so far.
Embiid has proven to be as entertaining off the court as he is on it, if not more. His public courting of Rihanna in 2014 won over fans’ hearts, but failed to win hers. She instead delivered him a simple message: come back when you’re an All-Star. Four years later and Joel is not only an All-Star but an All-Star starter.
So why would anyone in their right mind reject Rihanna, especially after exceeding her specific qualifications? While his public rejection of Rihanna drew a lot of laughs, and a fair amount of people telling him to reconsider, Embiid is actually showing how far he’s come in his short career.
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See, Embiid’s maturity and commitment to the game were called into question during his extensive periods of rehab of the past few years. He was accused of drinking too many shirley temples and had his social media presence over-analyzed. He also constantly fights an uphill battle against the stigma of being injury prone. There is no arguing JoJo has been on the receiving end of intense public scrutiny.
The Answer
The answer to why Embiid has moved on is crystal clear, and it’s a testament to his maturity. The potential mental toll their hypothetical relationship would have on him is hard to quantify. Rihanna is a self proclaimed savage. If you’re over 30 years old or don’t spend much time on the internet, she’s basically telling you she’ll break your heart.
A sullen Joel Embiid writing breakup poetry and subtweeting to get her back would be a soul-crushing sight. I, for one, cannot bear the thought of watching Joel’s youthful exuberance ripped out of his chest. No sir, not in this economy.
He also understands that basketball is as much of a mental game as it is physical, and any lapse while making a playoff push could prove fatal. Embiid speaks five languages fluently, so clearly he’s much smarter than the average chump (me) telling him he’s an idiot for turning her down (also me).
He’s taken it upon himself to avoid a situation that could stand to do more harm than good. I’d like to personally thank Mr. Embiid for trusting his own process on this one.