'I Was Built For This City': Joel Embiid Embraces His Inner Philadelphian Following Scuffle With Karl-Anthony Towns
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Joel Embiid has been in Philadelphia for five years and in that time the city has welcomed him as one of their own. After the Sixers' 117-95 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves that saw the Sixers' center and Karl-Anthony Towns get ejected for brawling, Embiid says his reaction was the Philly in him.
"I was built for this city and they were built for me. I can't thank them enough," Embiid told reporters.
The scuffle that broke out between the two big men may have been the result of physical play throughout the game — or it may be just Embiid being Embiid.
"I like to get in people's minds. I have real estate in their heads," Embiid added.
The city of Philadelphia has a reputation for wearing their hearts on their sleeves when it comes to their sports and that apparently resonates strongly with Embiid.
After the game, Embiid said you need to be a "Broad Street Bully" to be able to play in the City of Brotherly Love.
With all jokes aside, the scuffle shows one thing to anyone who watched — the players have each other's backs. When the chaos ensued, the players on the court rushed to Embiid's aid to make sure the situation did not escalate.
"I know my guys have my back. That's what I love about this team," Embiid said. "We love each other, we love playing with each other and we have each other's backs."
As the dust now settles following an eventful night at the Wells Fargo Center, all eyes will now be on the NBA's front office and their decision as to whether Towns and Embiid will be disciplined for their roles in Wednesday night's fight.
