The Philadelphia 76ers are the biggest losers of the NBA All-Star draft

Though Joel Embiid is an All-Star, he’ll be playing on Steph Curry’s squad, not Lebron James’. Here’s why that’s a huge loss for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Philadelphia 76ers‘ center Joel Embiid has to have one of the most magnetic personalities in the entire NBA.

Whether it be his amazing social media presence, his goofy post-game demeanor or his breezy confidence on the court, Embiid brings a unique confidence to the court that hasn’t been seen in an NBA big man since the days of Shaquille O’Neal, and plenty of other players have taken notice.

Both J.J. Redick, and Trevor Booker expressed a desire to play with Embiid when they arrived in the City of Brotherly Love, and I imagine many other players who’ve to share the court with the 7-foot Cameroonian big man would happily share that sentiment if asked.

Which is why it’s such an unfortunate situation that Steph Curry, not LeBron James drafted the Sixers’ lone representative in Thursday’s NBA All-Star Game draft.

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I mean sure Embiid will get an opportunity share the court with players like Kevin Love and Klay Thompson, a pair of players who would look right at home in Brett Brown‘s lineup, but for many fans of Philly sports those players aren’t the kind of generational talent they want to complete The Process in Philly.

No, Philly wants The King, and had James been able to share the court with Embiid, even in a meaningless All-Star game, it could have shown the impending free agent that Philly, not LA, San Antonio, or Cleveland, was the place to be in 2018.

Though All-Star games are usually offense fests where players more or less play a pickup game without much intensity, designed plays or defense, having a chance to watch Embiid, arguably the league’s best young big man share the court with the leagues best player could have been a sight to see, and a potential preview of things to come in South Philly.

Pairing James, one of the league’s best passing forwards and brightest basketball minds, with a player like Embiid, who’s virtually always open in the post, could help to prolong the Kings’ career, and give James a true inside scoring threat the likes of which he hasn’t had thus far in his over 10 year NBA career.

Sure, James got to play with Chris Bosh in his prime back in Miami, but even Bosh doesn’t have Embiid’s skillset, and couldn’t consistently imposing his will in the post regardless of who he was matched up against.

While it may not have had any effect on James’ eventual decision as to where he’d eventually take his services when the season commences, having the opportunity to share the court with Embiid as teammates may have been the catalyst the 76ers needed to convince arguably the leagues best players to take a shot at winning a title in the City of Brotherly Love.

I know this may be far-fetched, but it wouldn’t be the first time a pair of eventual teammates bonded in a strange situation.

Shaq originally met Penny Hardaway on the set of his movie Blue Chips, where Hardaway played O’Neils’ point guard. Though it was obviously a film and not a real basketball game, the pair did get to share the court a fair bit during the filming and O’Neil noticed just how good a passer the former Memphis State Tiger was, and demanded the Orlando Magic get him Penny in the 1993 NBA Draft. That turned out pretty well in Florida.

Want more proof?

Look no further than the Philadelphia 76ers own roster.

In an interview with Scott Davis of the Business Insider back in August, Redick described a late night shoot around with Embiid and Brett Brown that ultimately convinced him that Philly was the place to be in 2017.

While I’m sure the one-year, $23 million deal the 76ers offered him didn’t hurt, the fact that the duo got to share the court, and hang out earlier in the summer at Steve Nash‘s charity soccer game in New York obviously didn’t hurt his decision-making process.

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While there’s no way of knowing if Embiid’s electrifying personality would have convinced James to come to Philly, or if James even wanted to play with Embiid at all, as he drafted his own team, it’s another what if to add to The Process history books, especially if the team eventually fails to live up to our lofty expectations. Who knows, maybe Steph Curry really wants to come to Philly?