Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid was a late scratch from Saturday’s night game against the Denver Nuggets, with the team citing “knee soreness” for his absence.
Denver’s fans weren’t buying that excuse and when Embiid emerged from the locker room at Ball Arena in the second half, the home fans let the reigning NBA MVP know how they felt.
Embiid didn’t appear too concerned, cupping his hand to his ear and egging on the crowd.
Embiid is HEARING IT from the crowd 📢
— BetMGM 🦁 (@BetMGM) January 28, 2024
Here’s another look at the crowd’s reaction.
Denver let Joel Embiid hear it after he emerged from the locker room for the first time 😅 pic.twitter.com/PDrRVw8QKu
— ESPN (@espn) January 28, 2024
It’s hard to blame fans for being miffed Embiid missed the nationally televised game. It cost them a chance to see him match up with Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokić, who won the two previous MVP awards before Embiid.
It’s the fourth consecutive time Embiid has been held out of a game in Denver dating to 2019. There is always a question about whether a player has a legitimate injury/ailment or is sitting because of “load management,” a practice the NBA has tried to limit. Yet Nuggets fans made it clear how they felt.
NBA fans elsewhere thought Embiid got what he deserved.
Embiid ducking Jokic. pic.twitter.com/HEWXfIiccH
— John Ewing (@johnewing) January 27, 2024
Lol this feels like in high school where you could only have 5 tummy aches per quarter w/o a doctor excuse and if you had more you couldn’t graduate https://t.co/DGzvwWlK8x
— Lucas Macce (@MidCityFiesta94) January 28, 2024
A full montage of every Joel Embiid highlight at Denver since 2019 pic.twitter.com/dTQJFt4xES
— Justin Wills (@itsjwills) January 27, 2024
Guy acts like he’s won the in the playoffs lol 😂 afraid to play in Denver https://t.co/z2igRckl1J
— Raider Beau (@BeauBradyYS) January 28, 2024
If anything, Embiid is a peak troll https://t.co/dnZ3d3AzKa
— King Kwak (@kthechosenone) January 28, 2024
[ESPN; Photo Credit: ABC]
