Joel Embiid Uses Iverson’s Signature Motion vs. Trolling Nuggets Fans
Joel Embiid appeared to relish the opportunity to engage with taunting Denver Nuggets fans on Saturday. Over the past few years, Nuggets fans have teased Philadelphia 76ers’ star center Embiid due to his infrequent appearances when facing the Nuggets on the road.
In his career, Embiid has encountered the Nuggets nine times but has only played in Denver twice—first on December 5, 2016, and then on November 8, 2019. The rarity of Embiid competing against the Nuggets on their home turf, coupled with his ability to rival Denver’s standout big man Nikola Jokic, has fueled animosity from Nuggets fans towards the Sixers’ center.
The Denver crowd, known for its hostility, eagerly anticipated Embiid’s presence on the court on Saturday night. However, despite initially planning to play and being absent from the Sixers’ injury report for most of the day, Embiid’s recent knee concerns led the team’s medical staff to rule him out as a late scratch.
Embiid has come out to the Sixers bench for this close finish to a chorus of boos from these Denver fans… pic.twitter.com/tKhHXSfjMU
— Cassidy Hubbarth (@CassidyHubbarth) January 28, 2024
Although Embiid was not in initial sight during the first half of the game, Nuggets fans directed chants at him. Eventually, Embiid made his way to the bench and interacted with the crowd. Taking a playful cue from Allen Iverson, Embiid gestured energetically, placing his hand to his ear, encouraging the taunts to continue.
While Embiid typically does not indulge in the narrative of a big man rivalry, he recently acknowledged being aware of ongoing debates about himself and Jokic on social media. As someone who embraces social media trolling, Embiid urged fans to keep the banter alive. Although facing the crowd for the first time in a while on Saturday, he was unable to follow up his impressive 41-point, ten-assist double-double performance against the Nuggets a couple of weeks prior.
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