Joel Embiid is a professional basketball player that plays in the NBA. He was born in Yaounde, Cameroon on March 16, 1994. Embiid is a lengthy 7’0 tall and 280 pounds who plays center for the Philadelphia 76ers.
Before the NBA
Growing up, Joel Embiid was not very interested in basketball. In fact he had never really played basketball at all. His main interests were soccer and volleyball, and Embiid actually had a contract offer to play professional volleyball in Europe. Being 6’9 by the age 15, he started to have slight interest in basketball, and what eventually led him to quitting volleyball was a tape of Hakeem Olajuwon (NBA.com). This tape sparked his interest and motivated him to play how Olajuwon played. Joel Embiid puts into perspective how disinterested he was in basketball growing up when he says
“The first time I watched basketball was in 2010.”
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While attending a basketball camp in Africa, he was noticed by an NBA player of the time named Luc Mba a Moute who was also Cameroonian (NBA.com). He encouraged Embiid to pursue basketball, so Embiid migrated to the United States the following year to pursue a basketball career. In Florida, he played for The Rock School and went on to win a state championship (SportyTell).
Embiid had multiple offers to play division 1 basketball, and he decided to take his talents to Kansas University. He ended up only playing 1 season for the Jayhawks, but his impact was huge. After only 4 games of his absence, opponents’ numbers in rebounds, points per game, and field goal percentage all increased. Embiid dealt with a foot injury at the end of the season which unfortunately meant he had to miss the playoff tournaments. Despite the late injury Embiid was awarded Big 12 defensive player of the year as a freshman for Kansas (SportyTell). This ended his career as a college basketball player because he decided to enter the 2014 NBA draft.
Playing in the NBA
Joel Embiid was drafted 3rd overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2014 NBA draft (SportyTell). There have been 3 players drafted from Cameroon and being the 3rd overall pick made Embiid the highest drafted out of all 3. His thoughts on making it to the NBA included him saying,
“I started playing basketball so late, it just means that anything is possible.”
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Unfortunately, he still faced a foot injury at this time and was unable to debut for two straight seasons after being drafted. His nickname around the league and on social media became “The Process” after he told fans to trust the process while dealing with injuries early on. Finally, he made his long awaited NBA debut for the 76ers in the 2016-17 season (CBSSports). His talents stood out earning him a starting spot to the rookie World Team for the 2017 Rising Stars Challenge during all-star weekend. Once again, he would miss out on this playing opportunity because of a knee injury (TheMoney). Embiid was also named to the 2017 All Rookie First team. Even though he had been drafted two years prior, he was still considered a rookie having never made his debut.
In 2018, he continued to shine on the court and was named a starter for the Eastern Conference All-Stars. Embiid currently has a total of 4 all star appearances, and he still has the opportunity as a current NBA player to earn more. Another accolade showing his skill is in his first 100 games, he became the 7th player in NBA history with over 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 200 blocks which placed him in elite company among hall of fame centers (SportyTell). This shows how much hard work and effort Joel Embiid has put into his basketball craft. He went from no basketball history to suddenly becoming a household name in the game of basketball.
Being an athlete myself, it was amazing to see how determination can really change a life and begin a career. Joel Embiid left everything he knew in Cameroon to come take a chance in America to pursue a sport he had barely played. That takes guts and courage, and I can take these lessons and motivations into my own life. He showed me that with focus and humility, anything is possible.
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Featured photo courtesy of Shaun Powell of nba.com
Works Cited
Harper Sep 30, Z. (2016, September 30). Joel Embiid will start his first career preseason game after two years inactive. CBSSports.com.
Editors, S. T. (2019, June 11). Joel EMBIID Biography Facts, childhood and personal life. SportyTell.
The Money Editors·Networth & Fortunes·7 min read·706 views, well, S. as, & Fortunes, N. &. (2020, September 20). Biography of Joel Embiid: Facts, childhood and Personal Life Networth. The Money © – N°1 Official Money & Networth Source.
Pandey, S., 27, O., 26, O., here, N. P. enter your name, & here, P. enter your name. (2021, May 21). 99 famous Joel Embiid quotes. Players Bio.
Powell, S. (2017, October 17). Hoops journey of Philadelphia 76ers phenom Joel Embiid a storybook-like ‘process’. NBA.com.
Beyond the Single Story 