Joel Embiid attempted only three shots in opening half and missed all of them in shaky return for 76ers.
Joel Embiid made his NBA return after 193 days and fans waited to see the Philadelphia 76ers star in action on Tuesday night. The 7-foot-tall star player still got a reality check from the NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal who was not impressed with the debut performance against New York Knicks.
Joel Embiid made his debut in the NBA Cup and it was the opening game of the competition for the Sixers. His comeback after six months added a spark to the game but the Philadelphia center struggled to carry the momentum. Shaquille O’Neal discussed his game during the first half-break and shared his bitter feedback on the show.
The 30-year-old attempted only three shots in the first half and most surprisingly, he missed all of them. The Lakers legend was also stunned and he noticed Embiid’s slow start in the opening half. During the halftime show, he discussed it and shared how Embiid had a tough night on return.
NBA Hall of Famer said, “This is the fear I have for Joel Embiid. You announce arrogantly, ‘I’m not playing back-to-back. I’m not injured. I’m sore. I come in when I want to come back.’ Now when you say things like that, you’re supposed to come back with extra energy.”
Also Read: How many points did Joel Embiid score on his season debut? Full Stats
He also added the key point where Embiid missed three shots in the first half, “0-3 (FG), I would have been 0-15 (FG), you know what they’d say, ‘Hey, Shaq is not playing well but he is aggressive’… I say this respectfully Joel Embiid will never win a championship until he gets his mind and his attitude right.”
Joel Embiid sustained a knee injury against the Warriors in January and later, faced a 3-game suspension due to an altercation with columnist Marcus Hayes. It was his first game on his return after 193 days and fans expected a solid comeback. The 30-year-old center scored 13 points in his 26 minutes of play. Philadelphia are standing at 2-8 after 10 games and will host Cavaliers (12-0) in the NBA regular season.
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