Philadelphia 76ers: Joel Embiid declared the “King of Milwaukee”

Joel Embiid is a very good basketball player.

He’s dropped 40-plus points nine times so far this season, including in the Philadelphia 76ers‘ walk-off win over the Milwaukee Bucks before the All-Star Game, and has rightfully been placed in the middle of the MVP conversation along with his fellow big man Nikola Jokic.

Sidebar: Before you ask, no, Jokic isn’t a better defender than Embiid. Advanced analytics are incredibly valuable, but they have to be taken with a grain of salt.

So naturally, when you play at that level, it’s going to generate a few overreactions and maybe, just maybe, a few tasteful troll jobs to give other teams a hard time. One of those expert bits of social media chicanery, fortunately – or not, depending on your preference – came after the aforementioned game in Milwaukee, where the Philadelphia 76ers’ social media department poked fun at Giannis Antetokounmpo by adding a new nickname to Joel Embiid’s impressive moniker, “The King of Milwaukee.”

Joel Embiid has the goods to back up the Philadelphia 76ers’ talk.

Alright, first and foremost, allow me to add some context to the Philadelphia 76ers’ bold claim.

After leading his team to a commanding 118-109 win at the Wells Fargo Center, Giannis Antetokounmpo was on a roll. He put up 31 points, 16 rebounds, and two blocks, went to the line 13 times, and ultimately halted a two-game losing streak before it could spiral out of control.

But the real controversy around the game came a little under an hour before the contest opened up, as someone in the Bucks’ social media department thought it apt to declare Antetokounmpo “The King of Philly,” without any other context on their Twitter account.

Why? Honestly, your guess is as good as mine.

Maybe it’s because Antetokounmpo’s biggest game as a pro came in Philadelphia back in 2019, when he dropped 52 on the Sixers. Granted, the Sixers ultimately won that game by five thanks to a pair of made free throws by Tobias Harris and a bad pass by Nikola Mirotić, but hey, that’s certainly an accomplishment worth celebrating, I guess.

Or maybe it’s because Antetokounmpo has just dominated the Sixers more so than other teams across the association. No, that can’t be it either. According to Statmuse, “The Greek Freak” has averaged 27.3 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game in 21 contests against the Sixers since 2016. While those numbers are impressive, they are only .2 points, 1.4 rebounds, and .4 assists more than his typical career averages.

Fun fact, Antedkonmpo’s actually averaged more points against the Los Angels Lakers, Utah Jazz, Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Brooklyn Nets than your friendly neighborhood Sixers.

Hm… well, whatever the reason, clearly the Sixers remembered Milwaukee’s declaration to the point where when Embiid put up his own commanding performance, putting up 42-14-5 in a winning effort, the fine folks over in Camden put up a tweet of their own that you need to see to believe.

My goodness, was that even necessary?

… yeah, I think it was.

While the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets have fallen into the NBA’s hottest new rivalry, the Eastern Conference isn’t a two-team race. The Miami Heat are really good, as are the Boston Celtics, and no one can forget about the Milwaukee Bucks, who are the reigning NBA Champions and remain just as good as a season prior. Could the Sixers ultimately see Milwaukee in the playoffs? Totally, after failing to meet in the postseason since 2001, it’s safe to say the two teams are due for a good old-fashioned seven-game series. And if that happens? Well, it’s safe to say it’ll be a truly entertaining contest where folks will finally get to see who is the rightful King of the East once and for all.