Joel Embiid says Philly better than Cleveland, Milwaukee
By Bryan Rose
Prior to Joel Embiid’s foot injury, the Kansas big man was expected to be selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the first pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. If for some reason that didn’t go down, there was no way the seven-footer would escape the grasp of the Milwaukee Bucks who selected second.
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Of course, Joel Embiid did end up hurt and not wanting to take such a risk, both the Cavaliers and Bucks decided to pass on Embiid who fell to the Philadelphia 76ers with the third overall pick.
Such a selection shocked many as some expected Embiid to fall out of the draft lotto completely with a few even hinting he may not be picked in the first round. That seemed rather dramatic, but going in the top five didn’t seem likely given the concerns over his foot injury.
Regardless, the Philadelphia 76ers liked what they saw in Joel Embiid and apparently the feeling is mutual. Speaking to CSNPhilly.com, Embiid stated that Philadelphia is ‘way better’ than either Cleveland or Milwaukee.
“I wasn’t expecting the city to be like that,” Embiid told CSN’s Dei Lynam. “I was surprised and I loved it. I thought it was going to be something like Cleveland or Milwaukee but it was actually way better. I loved it.”
Embiid has proven to be a bit of a knucklehead (in a good way) since being drafted, like his courting of singer Rihanna on social media, so I’m not sure how many people are going to actually take this as an insult as much as Embiid simply being his unique self. Still, bulletin board material before you ever play your first NBA game isn’t probably the best way to go about things.