Joel Embiid isn’t pleased with details of the 76ers’ team meeting after Monday’s loss being leaked, telling reporters after Wednesday’s road loss to the Grizzlies, “whoever leaked that is a real piece of s–t.”
ESPN reported Tuesday that veteran guard Kyle Lowry called for a team meeting after they fell to 2-11 the night before, and Tyrese Maxey called out Embiid for being late “for everything.”
“We talked about a lot of things [during the meeting],” Embiid said Wednesday, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I don’t want to get into the details, but that whole thing [with Maxey] probably took 30 seconds. But then again, it’s Joel Embiid, so we’ve got to make everything blown out of proportion.
“It’s whatever. I’ll take it all. I’m the reason for everything, so I’ll take the blame for everything.”
Embiid, 30, and Maxey, 24, are said to have a good relationship that includes mutual accountability.
“Tyrese loves Big Fella, but this is the elephant in the room,” someone who attended the meeting told ESPN.
After another loss Wednesday, the two All-Stars spent a lot of time talking to each other with “no noticeable tension,” the Inquirer reported.
“That’s the relationship we have — nothing malicious,” Embiid said. “I like when people are telling me what I’m not doing good, what I need to do better. Even though that part [the tardiness] maybe happened once or twice, when I wasn’t playing.
“So I need to be better. I need to be perfect. I need to be on point, which I’m going to do. Which I’ve always done.”
Sixers players also told head coach Nick Nurse in the meeting that they want to be coached harder, while the coaches asked for better attention to detail, ESPN reported.
Embiid, who missed the first nine games of the season, was also furious at the media, one person in particular, earlier this month for mentioning his son and dead brother in a column criticizing the former MVP’s dependability.
The Sixers star shoved Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes in the postgame locker room on Nov. 2 over the piece and the NBA suspended him three games.
Now owning the worst record in the league, the 76ers return to action at home Friday against the Nets.
The 76ers are now dealing with yet another injury after Paul George left Wednesday’s game with a hyperextended left knee.
