I Love Embiid Shushing the Fans

by Posted on
(Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE)

Frustrated Sixers fans expressed their frustrations and disappointments of the current season by occasionally booing the coach and players over this past weekend. Al Horford took notice and shushed the crowd on Friday night after hitting a shot.

Last night, it was evident that Joel Embiid heard the boos as he also shushed the crowd and appeared to utter “Shut the fuck up” after draining a late three.

The developments over the weekend brought a smile to my face. First, I love the booing. This team deserves it after losing four-straight on the road. There’s no denying that Philly fans have gotten a little soft—patient is probably a better word—since the Super Bowl LII victory. The boos showed a return to our irritable, loveable selves.

Second, it shows that Embiid hears the boos and that they’ve bothered him. It shows he’s got a heart. There’s life.  I wasn’t offended in the least by the shushing. In fact, I loved it. The shushing shows that he cares.

The shushing makes it evident that Embiid doesn’t want to hear the boos and we all know that there is only one way to stop them—by playing up to his potential. The fact that he cares gives me hope that Embiid’s learning that he’ll have to be more than a fun twitter follow or sound-byte. He’s gonna have to up his production.

Maybe we see Embiid get more serious about his conditioning and his low-post game. Maybe Embiid takes practicing and preparation more seriously in an attempt to quiet the boos. Maybe the boos light a fire under Embiid.

The public ridicule on television by Shaq and Barkley hasn’t had any substantial effect on Embiid’s game. I have a glimmer of hope that getting booed in his own house by his own fans helps create a motivation to either better his game or shut us up.

Sixers win either way.