Philadelphia 76ers: Why Under Armour was smart to sign Joel Embiid
By Uriah Young
PLAY STYLE
My debut article for The Sixer Sense focused on Embiid’s lack of identity. My view is that he should find a signature move as a big man, and as a result, he will punish defenses more often and help the Sixers win more games. Yet, when it comes to selling his Embiid Ones, versatility may be the key element to their profitability. When his shoe deal was announced in 2018, he claimed “I am not a big man. I can do everything on the basketball court.” This proclamation could only carry weight with potential shoe buyers if his game spoke for itself on the basketball court.
Although he averages big man numbers in points, rebounds, and blocks, Embiid has accumulated a nice reel of highlights that support his claim of being able to do it all, including sleek moves of a guard. Whether it was his crossover on Giannis Antetokounmpo, his Eurosteps against multiple players, or his windmill dunk against the Raptors in a 2018 playoff game, Embiid’s skill set will resonate with consumers.
Why is this relevant? Consider how popular sneakers are with kids. When kids shoot hoops on the playground, the last thing they try to emulate is a post-up move. No kid ever yells, “Rudy Gobert!” while taking a jump hook in a game. Instead, they obsess with Kyrie’s crossover, Curry’s deep 3, or Harden’s step-back. Each of which Embiid has proven he can execute under the bright lights.
Should Embiid implement more nifty moves into his repertoire, the Embiid Twos will be a nice follow-up shoe, and Under Armour will be very happy.