Joel Embiid’s big surprise and 4 other standout moments from 76ers media day
After a long period of waiting, the Philadelphia 76ers finally kicked off the 2024-25 season, albeit without the hardwood action, with the annual Media Day transpiring yesterday for all teams. Fans finally got a first look at the old and new faces on the team alongside some cannot-miss moments from the yearly blast-off event.
Of course, Media Day cannot go by without some notewothy stuff going on. From surprising quotes, goofy episodes, and shocking developments, here are five standout moments from the 76ers from yesterday’s eventful media carousel.
5. Joel Embiid reveals surprising mindset for the 76ers this season
Despite mounting another MVP-caliber campaign last season, Joel Embiid seems like he’s taking a wider perspective this time around, implying that he’s willing to take a step back for rising star Tyrese Maxey, who won the Most Improved Player award for his stellar 2023-24 season.
Playing catch-up — one big thing that jumped out at me from Embiid:
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) September 30, 2024
"My job I feel like this year is to empower those guys, especially Tyrese. I think there's another step he can take, and he's going to take it. I think my job is to go out there and let him be the guy."
Of course, the 76ers will still be best-served with Embiid operating like an MVP-level fulcrum on both ends, but that does not necessarily mean that he will have to keep posting eye-popping numbers on a nightly basis, at least not anymore. With the addition of Paul George and the continuous growth by Maxey, the superstar center can breather easier now with the help he can get on the scoring end.
It’s also a plesant sight to see Embiid mature as a leader. After all, he’s already on the wrong side of 30, and it would bode well for the 76ers both in the rpesent and in the future to have a more holistic approach in roster-building which, naturally, involves Maxey on both ends of that spectrum.