“F**k Who the Rat Is”: DeMarcus Cousins Confident Joel Embiid’s Focusing On the Wrong Thing Amid Sixers’ Horrifying Season

Nickeem Khan | 28/11/2024
Joel Embiid and Demarcus Cousins

The 76ers have had an unfathomably terrible start to the 2024-25 season. They are 14th in the Eastern Conference with a 3-13 record and are well off the pace in the race for a place in the playoffs. To address the issues, the team had a players-only meeting, where Tyrese Maxey called out Joel Embiid for his unpunctuality. This and other details leaked to the media, which irked the center, who vowed to find the culprit who divulged details about the meeting. However, Demarcus Cousins believes it’s a waste of time.

During an appearance on FanDuel TV’s Run It Back, the former Kings star lauded Embiid for wanting to find the leak but claimed that it indicated he wasn’t focusing on the main goal. He said,

“I respect it, young fella… But with that being said, I think Joel’s focus is in the wrong place. “F*** who the rat is. Your team is struggling, y’all look horrible this season. Go lock in, win some games.”

Not only is it a waste of time, Embiid’s efforts to find the culprit may be futile. ESPN insider Shams Charania, who broke the news about Maxey criticizing the center, revealed on the Numbers On The Board podcast, that details about the meeting did not stem from one source. He said,

“Going with this one, you’re never reporting things off just one source. A story like this isn’t reported off one source. It’s a handful or more for a story of this magnitude.” 

Embiid would be better served focusing on improving his production. He has played only four games this season and is averaging an underwhelming 19.8 points and 7.5 rebounds on 37.9% shooting from the field.

His injury issues and dismal form have contributed to the 76ers’ horrendous form this season. As Cousins advised, it’d be better if he focused on solving problems on the court rather than the ones off it.

Post Edited By: Jay Mahesh Lokegaonkar
DeMarcus Cousins Joel Embiid

About the author

Nickeem Khan

Nickeem Khan is a Senior NBA Writer for The SportsRush from Toronto, Canada. He graduated from Toronto Metropolitan University with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Media. Nickeem has over five years of experience in the sports media industry with hands-on experience as a journalist among other roles, including media accreditation for the CEBL, NBA G-League's Raptors 905, and CBC's coverage of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. When he isn't writing articles, he serves as a member of the Toronto Raptors' Game Presentation Crew.

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