NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal stayed firm with his brutal take on Joel Embiid’s championship aspirations.
Philly fans continue to suffer an underwhelming start to the season following another massive loss against the New York Knicks.
Even with Joel Embiid back on the roster, the 2023 NBA MVP hardly made a difference as the 76ers suffered a 111-99 defeat in their opening game of the NBA Cup.
At this point, the morale must be low throughout the 76ers’ roster.
Embiid has officially kicked off his ninth NBA season for the franchise as he continues to remain the cornerstone superstar of the team.
The 76ers have disappointed their fanbase with a 2-8 start to the season, with Embiid missing all but one game so far.
But the worst is possibly yet to come for the 76ers as Embiid claimed he doesn’t intend to play in any back-to-back games in the 2024-25 NBA season.
“We got to do whatever it takes to make sure that in the postseason I’m healthy,” Embiid revealed before the season started.
After the embarrassing defeat against the Knicks, the 76ers are set to play the Cleveland Cavaliers next without any rest.
Despite previous claims, Embiid has left the decision of his inclusion vs. the Cavs up to head coach Nick Nurse, who also said the veteran center was rusty against the Knicks.
NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal took note of Embiid’s tone in the postgame comments and explained why he would retire without winning a ring, similar to his co-host Charles Barkley.
“I made the comment that he’s not going to win a championship until his attitude changes and I meant what I said,” O’Neal said on Inside the NBA.
He added: “Being the reigning president of the big-man alliance, I know what it takes to win the championship. As a leader, you have to lead by example.”
O’Neal also pointed out Embiid’s stance on back-to-back games sets a poor example of young players on the 76ers’ roster.
“When you come in and say I’m not going to play back-to-backs, it gives the guys that are not really focused, it gives them time to say, ‘Well if he’s not going to play hard, I’m not going to play hard.’”
Shaq concluded Embiid needs to play hard to get the entire team going behind him, until then he will remain ring-less.
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