Now that the Philadelphia 76ers are touting more star power on their roster than any other team in the league, they now find themselves under a bigger microscope. While that is not exactly new for the franchise, that could very well make Joel Embiid a stronger magnet for false narratives and foul agenda, and the recent story, which he refuted, is an early example of the media storm the superstar might have to deal with this season.
Just recently, Embiid and LeBron James both refuted a story that Mike Breen dished out during the team's preseason game against the Knicks. Therein, the longtime commentator said that LeBron called Joel out for being late to practice for a couple of minutes. James was quick to react to that tale, and Embiid followed suit by dismissing the same, tossing it up to him being an "easy target" for the media.
More eyes on the 76ers could mean more fake news about Joel Embiid
Over the years, Embiid has become a perennial punching bag among fans and pundits alike. While he is thoroughly occupied with getting his body right while leading the team, the media, in particular, has been quite engrossed in parading some nasty narratives about the superstar. Often, his work ethic is being questioned, while trade rumors are floated around when those never even held water to begin with.
After adding LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, the 76ers are now the villains in the league. As such, it is only natural to expect that the public's tendency to peddle fake news about Embiid will only grow stronger. The moment the team hits some sort of a wall, expect the former Most Valuable Player to suddenly get shoehorned into farcical stories and other agendas that only serve to distract the team from its ultimate goal.
Thankfully, the 76ers have a stronger support system around their best player now. Embiid himself has pushed back on similar false notions, but with outspoken stars in James and Brown backing him up, the odds of the squad getting diverted away from their actual goal should be low. After all, the win-now edict spread across the organization is close to its peak.
At this point, suffice it to say that Joel Embiid will never be the darling of the media. But with the 76ers shooting for something much more important and rewarding than getting acclaim from the public, the superstar should be just fine despite the expected negative hoopla coming his way. The actual basketball should be more than enough to keep him focused in the right direction.
As everyone knows, this is nothing new to him.
Add us as a preferred source on Google