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Joel Embiid on Future with 76ers: 'I Always Say I Want to End My Career Here'
August 23, 2020
Joel Embiid has never known another NBA team outside of the Philadelphia 76ers, and he apparently wants it to stay that way even after they were swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics.
Ben Golliver of the Washington Post shared Embiid's comments after Sunday's Game 4 in which the big man said: "I always say I want to end my career here. If it happens, good. If it doesn't happen, well, you move on and all that stuff."
It is somewhat jarring to think about Embiid on another team, as he has become synonymous with the recent chapter of 76ers' history.
They selected him with the No. 3 overall pick of the 2014 NBA draft, and he quickly established himself as a fan favorite even though he missed the first two seasons of his career with injuries. He embraced the Trust the Process mantra of the fans and organization as Philadelphia went through an extensive rebuild and became a symbol of hope.
Embiid has developed into one of the best big guys in the league, but this season was still a massive disappointment for the 76ers.
After all, they came in with realistic NBA Finals aspirations after they were eliminated by the eventual champion Toronto Raptors in stunning fashion in Game 7 of the second round last year. With Kawhi Leonard no longer in Toronto, Philadelphia looked like one of the best teams in the East on paper.
Instead, the team finished with the No. 6 seed in the East and couldn't even register a single win against the Celtics in the opening round. Embiid scored 30 or more points in three of the four contests, but his side was overmatched without the injured Ben Simmons.
The question now is what moves the 76ers will make as they transition into a future where their fans expect them to contend.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski already reported head coach "Brett Brown is without internal momentum to return for his eighth season as coach, and a final decision could come soon."
While Brown may be out, Embiid wants to remain with the team for years to come.