Joel Embiid just can’t help himself. The Philadelphia 76ers’ big was caught foul baiting against practice squad basketball players during a Team USA scrimmage ahead of the Olympics in Paris.
It’s so lame…
Embiid, a first-time Olympian, is part of a group that might make up the most talented roster in United States history. He joins the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, the greatest shooter of all-time, the all-time leading scorer for USA Basketball, and guys like Anthony Edwards, Jayson Tatum, Kawhi Leonard and Anthony Davis on a team coached by Steve Kerr, Erik Spoelstra, Tyronn Lue and Mark Few. Every single American player and coach at the Paris Olympics this summer could one day end up in the Hall of Fame.
Although it is great to have Embiid in the mix (he was granted U.S. citizenship in 2022), watching him play can be extremely frustrating. The 30-year-old is often faulted for being reckless on the court and hesitant in the paint, and on occasion, lazy.
Hakeem Olajuwon was one of his most vocal critics.
He’s got all the moves, but leveraging the moves is different. Why would he be shooting threes? He has the advantage every night, and if I have the advantage, I’m going to wear you out.
[Shooting a three] is settling! When I’m tired, I settle. You don’t settle when you’re trying to win. You don’t start the game settling!
— Hakeem Olajuwon
Embiid fired right back.
It’s funny when you’ve got these old guys always talking about posting up, “You need to spend time in the paint,” and all that stuff. You can’t win this way anymore. It’s not the fricking ’90s or ’80s like it used to be. So, they must not have any basketball IQ.
— Joel Embiid
Another point of contention is the 7-footer’s frequent attempts to draw a foul. There are many times where Embiid will choose to initiate contact in effort to get a call instead of finishing the play.
For example:
Joel Embiid trying to foul bait in a situation like this. Why am I not surprised 😭 pic.twitter.com/0h9WyJaenv
— Alvini 🐸 (@Alvini_Linguine) April 28, 2024
The term frequently associated with Embiid is: Foul Baiter.
It can be rather frustrating. Like, dude, just go hard to the rim and slam it home…
Embarrassing is another way to describe the foul baiting. Especially when it happens during practice. That’s super lame.
Well, Joel Embiid was caught doing exactly that during a scrimmage on Sunday. He played for a foul during a scrimmage with zero legitimate implications. The result doesn’t matter. So play the game!
Another Team USA group: Steph Curry, Devin Booker, Jrue Holiday, Kawhi Leonard and Joel Embiid pic.twitter.com/EaTpf4X0as
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) July 7, 2024
Embiid was foul baiting against a practice squad team that is highlighted by Brandon Miller, Payton Pritchard and Jalen Suggs. It’s infuriating.