Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid, center, from Cameroon, dribbles against Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James and Larry Nance Jr. in the second half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, March 1, 2018, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)Tony Dejak/Associated Press

Joel Embiid Hints at LeBron James 76ers Buzz with 'Summer 2018 Goals' Hashtag

Joseph ZuckerMar 1, 2018

Even in saluting Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James, Joel Embiid appeared to make a sales pitch on behalf of the Philadelphia 76ers.

Embiid shared a photo on Instagram from Philadelphia's 108-97 victory over Cleveland on Thursday and included the caption, "Always a great time playing against one of the best to ever play the game." He capped off the post with the hashtag "summer2018goals," seemingly alluding to James' impending free agency:

Several minutes after sharing the Instagram post, Embiid tweeted this:

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Embiid's Instagram post added to a back-and-forth among 76ers and Cavs fans, who purchased billboards to lobby James:

Ultimately, Embiid's performance was likely the Sixers' biggest selling point. The 2018 All-Star finished with 17 points, 14 rebounds and six assists.