Joel Embiid Responds to Being Called 'Lazy' by Critics After Leading 76ers to G5 Win over Celtics

After helping the Philadelphia 76ers keep their season alive with a 113-97 win over the Boston Celtics in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference playoffs on Tuesday, Joel Embiid doesn't have time for anyone who thinks he isn't working hard to play.

Speaking to reporters following the victory, Embiid explained that he's aware his injury history can feed into the "lazy" narrative but he plays "as hard as possible" whenever he's on the floor:

"The one thing about me is I've dealt with a lot of stuff over my career. I don't complain. I just want to give as much as I can every single time I step on the floor. I know a lot of people might have takes that I might be lazy or whatever, but every single time I'm on the floor, I want to play as hard as possible. I want to do whatever it takes to win a basketball game, whether it's on offense, on defense. 

"I just want to play basketball, whether (or not) I'm in good shape physically, mentally or whatever. I just want to enjoy these moments being part of a basketball team that's trying to accomplish something, and that's to win every single game."

76ers-Celtics Highlights

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Embiid overcame a slow start on Tuesday night to put up 33 points, eight assists and four rebounds in 39 minutes.

ESPN's Dotun Akintoye noted in a July 2025 profile of Embiid that the "lazy" narrative really started to emerge during the 2017-18 season when he was getting a foot rub by a 76ers trainer while eating a hamburger.

"I still see a lot of people bring it up, talking about the silly stuff I used to do as a kid, just my second, my third year in the league," Embiid told Akintoye. "I started playing basketball at 16. You would not be in this position by being lazy."

Whenever a player is injured frequently, it becomes easy to assume they aren't taking proper care of their body and so it breaks down.

It's hard to fathom based on the success Embiid has had that his issues aren't due more to bad luck than anything else. There aren't many players who can finish top two in NBA MVP voting in three consecutive years, including a win, by not working.

Some of Embiid's issues have been bad luck. He was diagnosed with Bell's palsy during the 2024 postseason. He missed the first three games of this series against the Celtics after undergoing an appendectomy on April 10.

Typical recovery time for an NBA player from an appendectomy has been roughly 23 days. Embiid made it back in 16, put up 26 points with 10 rebounds in Game 4 and then led the Sixers to a comeback victory on the road in Game 5.

Embiid and the 76ers still have work to do if they hope to advance, starting with hosting the Celtics in Game 6 on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET.