That was the biggest takeaway from Dotun Akintoye’s phenomenal Joel Embiid feature that ran on ESPN on Wednesday morning. The enigmatic Philadelphia 76ers superstar provided rare access and vulnerability talking about the ups and downs of his NBA career in the type of longform piece that rarely exists in today’s media landscape.

Even his most painful grief has been thrown in his face. At the start of Embiid's rookie season in 2014, his 13-year-old brother Arthur was hit by a truck and killed. The day Arthur died, Embiid ignored a series of phone calls. When he finally answered, it was terrible news.

The Sixers center is working to return to form as he recovers from his second knee surgery in 14 months. He spoke with ESPN about coming back too soon from injury, his friend Jameer Nelson suggesting therapy, his history with James Harden, and more.

The Philadelphia 76ers had a team meeting last season in November in Miami. During the meeting, Tyrese Maxey called Joel Embiid out for being late to team events.

It has never been a secret that James Harden holds an enormous grudge against the Philadelphia 76ers and team president Daryl Morey for not granting him the lucrative long-term extension he was expecting after the 2022-23 season.

Joel Embiid has developed a reputation as a troll. But this aspect of the big man has persisted since his college days, as his coach recalled a hilarious story from his time at Kansas.