Joel Embiid is very appreciative. He is healthy, signed a mega-contract and has become the face of a franchise on the rise.
The night before Thanksgiving, following a 20-point win over the Trail Blazers, Embiid reflected on why he is thankful.
“I’m thankful for my family,” Embiid, who grew up in Cameroon, said. “I live by myself, they don’t live here. But my mom is actually here.”
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Embiid’s mother took in Wednesday’s action from courtside at the Wells Fargo Center and was all smiles as her son put up 28 points (11 for 19 shooting), 12 rebounds and two blocks in the 101-81 victory (see game recap).
Embiid also recognized the Sixers’ faithful, who have pulled for him during injury after injury and never wavered from their trust in the process.
“I’m thankful for the city of Philadelphia,” Embiid said. “This has become my home and I hope to be here for the rest of my career. I’m just thankful for the fans and just everybody around me, people that have been supporting me.”
Embiid even gave a shoutout to the media, which doesn’t always happen, especially after a team struggled for so long.
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“You guys hype me up so much,” he said. “So thank you.”
And last but not least, the player with 1.02 million followers on Twitter and another 1.4 million on Instagram, Embiid is grateful for every like and retweet.
“I’m thankful for social media,” he said.
#Fitting. #Thankful. #HappyThanksgiving