Joel Embiid is a man who loves having his spicy food. Avoiding the weighing scale is a must for his mental health, as he admits.
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Joel Embiid burst onto basketball fans’ horizons with a precocious freshman year run at Kansas University. The Cameroonian center was an unheralded prospect at the time, but he shot up on everybody’s ratings really fast.
However, there were 2 issues that plagued him even back then, and continue to do so to this day. The first, obviously, is related to his injury-prone body and playing style (at the time).
Jojo has made improvements on the injury front – he put together an MVP-worthy campaign despite missing 17 games last year. His other significant issue is his conditioning, which is often tested to the limit during the playoffs.
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Many fans believe that slimming down and watching his diet could help Embiid on both fronts. The Sixers big man, however, is a gifted post player who can use his size to devastating effect down low. Cutting weight would be counterproductive to that.
Joel Embiid says what’s on every overweight NBA fan’s mind during 76ers media day proceedings
What would also be counterproductive for the Sixers’ long-term championship hopes is Embiid feeling down or depressed. And the big man seems to already have the answer as to how to avoid that.
Embiid no longer gorges on fast food and an oily, fatty diet like he once used to. But he still says that he doesn’t really watch his weight after a hearty meal at the dinner table.
“I don’t get on the scale. It’s not good for my mental health.”
– Joel Embiid. 😂
(via @LaurenMRosen) pic.twitter.com/3Q2jCx0qaX
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) September 30, 2021
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Well as long as Embiid continues to make 85% of his free throws and rag-dolling his opponents en route to averaging 30 points per game in the regular season and the playoffs, his weight really shouldn’t be a factor.
After all, those of us who’ve watched early-noughties basketball remember a force of nature called Shaq. A 395 pound man who could not be stopped by 5 humans together once he got going downhill.
Embiid projects to combine the best attributes of Hakeem Olajuwon with those of Shaquille O’Neal. If he can continue on his path right now, greatness and success are about to knock on his doorknob before too long.