Unique NBA talent Embiid to play in marquee game on Christmas Day: ‘He is the future’
A Hall of Fame college basketball coach who also keeps track of happenings in the NBA, Bill Self figures to watch at least some of the Philadelphia 76ers-Boston Celtics game on Christmas Day.
The Sixers boast one of the best young players in the league in 7-foot, 250-pound former Kansas center Joel Embiid, while ex-Jayhawk forward Marcus Morris plays for the Celtics.
The nationally televised (ABC) holiday clash tips off at 4:30 p.m. Central time.
“He is the future,” 16th-year KU coach Self said recently of Embiid. “He’s a 5-man that can play the 4, the 3, stretch the floor. He’s the best passer — not on the team — but probably the second-best passer behind Ben (Simmons). I see him as kind of being probably the best of all the requirements you can have with a 5, skilled but also with the size and strength to play close to the basket.”
Embiid, a 24-year-old native of Cameroon, remains a huge KU supporter.
Last year, the Sixers, to Embiid’s delight, practiced at KU’s Allen Fieldhouse the day before an exhibition game at the Sprint Center.
This year, Embiid, who is in his fifth year in the NBA, attended the Jayhawks’ Champions Classic game against Michigan State in Indianapolis. He spoke to the team and coaches after KU’s 92-87 victory over the Spartans.
“He said he really missed Kansas his first two years in the league. Now he’s used to the NBA lifestyle and doesn’t miss it quite as much,” KU assistant coach Kurtis Townsend said on Bill Self’s Hawk Talk radio show.
Self had a question for Embiid outside KU’s locker room in Indy.
“Coach said, ‘You average 28 (points) a game. Why don’t you post up a little more and average 32?’ Joel, like when he was here, he said, ‘Coach, I score the most on post-ups of anybody in the league. You can check the stats.’ He had reasons for why he has to take so many threes. That they need him to shoot ‘em,” Townsend said.
Speaking to Yahoo!Sports on Saturday, Embiid claimed he doesn’t like putting up long-distance shots.
He says he shoots threes “because of the spacing that we have, and sometimes I have to take them. I have to be on the perimeter, just getting guys open, because of all the attention that sometimes it seems (is) presented to me.”
Embiid, who has averaged 26.4 points, 13.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists in the first 33 games this season (35 of 127 from three-point range), always seems to be in the news, sometimes because of entertaining Twitter posts or interviews.
He was touched that the Sixers crowd gave his father a standing ovation when his dad was introduced during a timeout at a recent home game.
“Philly fans, they’re so passionate and they show a lot of love,” Embiid told reporters. “You know every time they show my dad is at the game they always show him a lot of love, so I really appreciated that. You know he retired today from the (Cameroon) army and that’s a big accomplishment and yesterday was his birthday, so I really appreciate all the love.”
Embiid, who didn’t play in a game his first two years in the NBA while recovering from surgeries, helped make popular the phrase “Trust the Process,” as the Sixers were rebuilding early in his tenure.
Members of the Philly front office and Embiid, who is being paid $25,467,250 this season, are both trying to obtain the trademark for the slogan.
According to clutchpoints.com, Embiid has filed eight new trademark applications for “Trust the Process.” The Sixers’ front office has also filed a “Trust the Process” trademark application.
Twenty-nine-year-old Marcus Morris, by the way, has averaged 14.9 points and 6.2 boards in 28 games for the Celtics this season.
Oubre signs with Converse
Former KU wing Kelly Oubre, Jr., recently traded from the Washington Wizards to the Phoenix Suns, signed a multi-year footwear and apparel endorsement deal with Converse in November.
The deal, according to ESPN.com, is the “first of its kind in the NBA with Oubre expected to wear Nike basketball sneakers on the court, while headlining its Nike Inc. subsidiary brand Converse casually.”
Oubre’s shoe deal with Adidas expired on Oct. 1. He chose Converse over Adidas, Puma and New Balance.
“I’m from New Orleans, man,” a proud Oubre, responded to Azcentral.com when asked about his stylish attire. “New Orleans, Louisiana is nothing but culture, music and fashion. That’s what it is. It’s in my blood forever.”
Big on fashion, the 23-year-old Oubre will consult Converse on clothes and footwear and also plan photo shoots.
“Basketball culture now permeates through all those dimensions that Converse has been playing in as a brand, whether it’s style or fashion,” Sophie Bambuck, Converse CMO told ESPN.com. “It just felt like the right time for us to re-energize the brand, dimensionalize the brand and bring a different point of view to our consumer around basketball. Kelly felt like the right person to do that with, not only as an athlete, but as a person.”
Oubre and Austin Rivers recently were dealt to the Suns for Trevor Ariza.
Oubre, who wore No. 12 with the Wizards, took Ariza’s Phoenix jersey number 3.
“That’s my spirit number man,” Oubre told the Arizona Republic. “If you get down to the deep core of psychology and things like that, it’s the number that represents me and my family. Three is the dividend of 12 (his number at Washington).”
Oubre played against his former team, the Wizards, on Saturday. He scored 20 points in the Suns’ wild 149-146 triple-overtime loss in Washington.
“It was weird walking past the locker room to come over to this side. It was different for me,” Oubre told nbcsports.com after the game. “I was just taking it moment by moment.”
He received a loud ovation from the Wizards’ fans when he first checked in off the bench with 5:02 left in the first quarter.
“It is love, man. Love everybody in D.C, who genuinely rooted for me to succeed and I appreciate the love,” Oubre said. “You cannot really ask for anything more than that. That is kind of a moment that I will cherish forever and I will remember that forever man so I appreciate that.”
Oubre figures to hit the jackpot this offseason as a free agent. He’s making $3.2 million in 2018-19 in the last year of his rookie contract.
“The Wizards knew they couldn’t also afford Oubre this upcoming summer. The two sides were never very close on an extension this past offseason,” Chase Hughes of nbcsports.com wrote of Oubre, who is averaging 13.1 points and 4.5 boards in 31 games.
“Oubre is banking on himself to earn a contract worth double-digit millions annually and the Wizards did not see a way that could work in Washington. They already have over $92 million committed to (John) Wall, (Bradley) Beal and (Otto) Porter alone next season, plus Ian Mahinmi’s $15.45 million in the final year of his deal,” Hughes said.
“There were many aspects of Oubre the Wizards liked during the three-plus years he developed in their system. Front office executives and coaches raved about his work ethic. They always knew he would put the necessary time in to improve. But that improvement didn’t reach a point where they could rationalize paying the money he is due to make. Oubre is still searching for a consistent jump shot and has holes in his game that need to be rounded out.
“For one, his lack of versatility and consistency on offense gave the Wizards pause. Also, he struggled with discipline on defense. Oubre isn’t a perfect player, he has flaws. But most guys his age do and the potential has always been enticing. He can run the floor, play above the rim and has a 7-foot-2 wingspan. He gets better every year at using that length to his advantage, this season ranking fifth in the NBA in deflections,” Hughes noted.
