Joel Embiid’s social media posts on Wednesday were not an April Fool’s Day joke.
On April 1, the Philadelphia 76ers center publicly opposed the team’s decision to rule him out of that night’s game against the Washington Wizards. “Must be APRIL FOOLS joke? Played against Miami in the same conditions and I’m planning to play tonight! Embiid wrote.
He then followed it up with another post that said, “I guess they won’t let me play basketball.” Many thought Embiid, who is known for social media hijinks, was simply trolling. But it turns out he was actually upset by the situation and called out general manager Daryl Morey by name.
After the Sixers’ 115-103 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, Embiid detailed the miscommunication about Wednesday’s game when speaking with reporters.
“I was pissed off,” Embiid said. “I wanted to play basketball. I wasn’t allowed to play basketball. So, this is more of a question for Daryl Morey.”
Embiid played through sickness against the Miami Heat on Monday and the Sixers officially listed Embiid out with an illness against Washington. Embiid contended he was feeling well enough to play Wednesday night.
“I was obviously pretty sick in Miami, but I still wanted to give us a chance to go out there and do something,” Embiid said. “I didn’t sleep the night before, but I felt better going into Washington. I didn’t make it to shootaround. But when I found out after that I wasn’t playing, it caught me off guard. It pissed me off.
“But it doesn’t matter what I think. I have to follow directions.”
Philadelphia’s medical staff decided to hold Embiid out because he had been battling the illness for three days and was unable to attend shootaround, per The Athletic. But Embiid clearly disagrees with that sentiment.
It’s never ideal for an organization when its star player is calling out the general manager, especially when this isn’t the first time Morey has been on the receiving end of a sentiment like this. James Harden famously proclaimed, “Daryl Morey is a liar” in 2023 over a contract dispute. This is nowhere near that level, but it’s a situation that Embiid and the Sixers would certainly like to get fixed so it doesn’t become a real issue, especially with the team seemingly hitting its stride right before the postseason.
2026 NBA playoff picture: Standings, tiebreakers as Lakers try to hang onto No. 3 seed without Luka Dončić
Brad Botkin
Despite Embiid’s ruffled feathers, the Sixers won in Washington handily on Wednesday and followed it up with a 12-point win over the Wolves Friday night. The team has gone 7-3 in its last 10 games, including 3-1 with Embiid on the floor after returning from an oblique injury. With Embiid and Tyrese Maxey back from injury and Paul George returning from a suspension, Philadelphia (43-34) has managed to climb into the No. 6 spot in the East. That’s a big climb from the No. 9 spot the Sixers sat in on March 18th.
Perhaps Embiid was just frustrated with the moment and the situation won’t escalate beyond that. But it would serve everyone well to clear the air so this doesn’t get more attention than it needs.
