'Stop being a b—': NFL legend calls out Joel Embiid for injury complaints during 76ers' playoff run
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'Stop being a b—': NFL legend calls out Joel Embiid for injury complaints during 76ers' playoff run originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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Given 100 guesses to figure out what former NFL player publicly told 76ers center Joel Embiid to "stop being a b----," you very well might not guess it.
So we'll tell you: Tiki Barber, the long-time New York Giants running back.
It's sometimes a weird world in the land of sports radio, where Barber is a host on WFAN in New York, which is also syndicated in Philadelphia.
Barber is mad that Embiid has made it publicly clear that he's hurting.
And fine, if you have to maintain your tough guy persona more than a decade after retiring, go for it.
Embiid, frankly, has had one of the most injury-plagued careers, of anyone who has still reached an all-time great level, of anyone in basketball history.
And even when he's healthy and playing well, luck goes against him, like needing to have his appendix removed late in the regular season.
"You play hurt, you have to, especially when it means something to you," Barber said. "You don't complain about it. You just don't. Because if you do, it's like, give me sympathy... It's weak. I don't love that."
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There will be some sports fans that agree with Barber here, and it's not a totally outlandish take, although strong stances like these from someone who likely doesn't know Embiid personally is always a bit silly.
But on the flip side, Embiid was playing through pain in the Boston series and then got hurt twice more just in Game 7. He must be so far from 100%.
The reality is that Embiid has to deliver on the court. The 76ers won't care what he chooses to talk about or gesture about or whine about as long as Embiid gets them wins.
It didn't go like that in Game 1 against the Knicks, but there's still time. Embiid can still show Tiki Barber, of all people, what he's made of.