Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green had some bold words of encouragement for Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid in the midst of the heavy scrutiny he’s under.
Warriors: Draymond Green defends Joel Embiid after clash
Green’s Warriors laid the smacketh down on Embiid’s 76ers on Thursday night, as WWE legend The Rock would say. After Golden State came out on top over Philadelphia by a score of 139-105, Green had this to say to the press after the game regarding the former 2023 NBA MVP, per NBC Sports Bay Area’s Joel Soria:
“I told him to stick with it,” Green told Burke. “I told him I know how it feels for the whole world to be against you. It’s hard. Everybody’s against him right now as if he did something wrong to their mother, and all he did was live his life, deal with the injuries he’s had, tried to be on the court and be the best player he can be, and yet he gets so much hate for that.”
Scrutiny for Embiid’s woes under light post Warriors loss
The Cameroonian center is under fire for the tremendous struggles that the Sixers have experienced in 2024-25. Philadelphia’s loss to Golden State dropped them to 13-19 on the campaign, good for the No. 11 seed in the Eastern Conference. This is not the start that anyone envisioned for a team that formed a wowing big three including Embiid, All-Star Tyrese Maxey and nine-time All-Star Paul George over the summer.
To make matters worse, Embiid has missed 20 games this year. He is averaging a mere 24.1 points per game by his nonpareil standards, and has the Sixers in a disadvantageous hole they’ll have to speedily climb out of if they want to make the postseason next spring.
Green’s relatability to Embiid may resonate with star big
As he’s received much flack for the combination of those factors, as well as for his work ethic being called out by Maxey earlier in the campaign, Green could relate to how the basketball world has come down hard on him. The Michigan State product has been one of the most criticized players in the league for a decade running due to everything from his play to his on-court antics and striking statements.
Thus, the Warriors leader’s words to Embiid could potentially have an impact on him. The Sixers are close to having all of their core guys back, so their woes may come to an abrupt end once they find a groove. That won’t matter to Green, who is intent to pull his Dubs out of their own slump. No matter, seeing Embiid overcome his naysayers would likely leave him content.
