NBA Exec: Joel Embiid Being 'Entitled' Contributes to Lack of Sympathy for 76ers Star

An NBA executive believes Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid has a tendency to act "entitled," according to ESPN's Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst.

The executive was responding to Bontemps and Windhorst's question about which players have had disappointing first halves to the 2024-25 season.

"Embiid has a lot of bad injury luck and plays through pain so you feel sympathy for him for that. But sometimes he acts so entitled that it goes away," the executive said.

The Sixers won just three of the first 17 games of the season while dealing with periodic absences from Embiid and Paul George.

The 76ers have since improved to 15-20, although Embiid has still only played 13 games. He has missed time with left knee soreness following last season's surgery, in addition to a sinus fracture and a foot sprain.

Embiid was also suspended for three games after "shoving a member of the media," per the NBA, during postgame media availability in November.

Friction within the 76ers locker room made headlines in late November when ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Tyrese Maxey had called out Embiid for being late to team activities in a postgame meeting. Embiid later called out the person who leaked the story to Charania.

Embiid is currently sidelined with a left foot sprain. He returned to practice on Thursday, but is set to miss a third straight game when the 76ers take on the New Orleans Pelicans at home on Friday night.