Attention, Toronto Raptors fans: Joel Embiid has something to tell you — his perception of you has changed.
Talking postgame after Philadelphia's 99-79 victory over Miami in Game 3, Embiid spoke at length about the facial injury he suffered taking an elbow from Pascal Siakam in the first round and Raptors fans. For Embiid, Siakam's elbow was just accidental but the cheering by Raptors fans afterwards was uncalled for.
"I don't know. I don't think it was intentional, that's my guy obviously," Embiid said about Siakam. "I don't think he meant to do it.
"But I was more irritated by the perception of when that happened, really their fans," Embiid continued. "I've always thought they've had great fans, but it kind of changed my mind about their fans up there. Whether it was throughout the series, the F chants and all that stuff, that's cool. It never gets to me anyways, but I think they got mad because I did the airplane celebration."
The play Embiid is referring to occurred late in the fourth quarter of Philadelphia's series-winning Game 6 victory.
Embiid broke out a soccer-style airplane celebration after throwing down a dunk that emphatically sealed shut the door on Toronto's postseason. It was a typical Embiid moment, showboaty yet also highly amusing. Raptors fans, though, were not thrilled by Embiid's exuberance.
Immediately after Siakam elbowed the Sixers star in the face and he was in clear pain, some fans loudly clapped and cheered him in a jeering fashion.
Overall, Embiid isn't bugged at all by the fans' cheering. He relishes it. He's just mainly wondering why fans act in such an unholy manner sometimes.
"It's been going on in a few arenas these days, where fans feel like it's okay to say F somebody," Embiid said. "There's a bunch of kids in the arena, I don't think that should be okay even if there wasn't kids. But it's almost like, if you respond to it, it's almost like, in the Draymond situation, the league fines you."
Embiid's mention of Draymond Green is a reference to the Warriors forward receiving a $25K fine for flipping off Memphis fans.
"So to me, it doesn't bother me, I'm just speaking for really everybody in the NBA," Embiid continued. "If you give it, you also got to be able to take it. And I've said it about our fans too — when they boo, if the players are going to go back, you got to be able to take it too."
Sixers fans weren't booing Embiid on Friday as the All-Star big man returned from injury to help Philadelphia pick up a much-needed win in their second-round series with the Miami Heat. Miami still leads the series 2-1 but Embiid is back and Sunday's Game 4 is once again at home for the Sixers and their fans.
