In a recent appearance on the ‘Run Your Race’ podcast, Joel Embiid’s Philadelphia 76ers teammate described the 2023 as a combination of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. Green, who will be starting his second stint with the Sixers in the upcoming season, is very confident of Embiid’s quality as a top player. Green warned how the Cameroonian star could further level himself up, coming in to become the most dominant player in the league.
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Danny Green recently returned for a second stint with the Sixers after spending most of the 2022-23 season with the Memphis Grizzlies and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Having played alongside Embiid at Philadelphia from 2020 to 2022, Green’s observations on Joel Embiid might as well be accurate.
Joel Embiid’s teammate Danny Green compares the 2023 MVP’s skills to Kobe and Shaq
Danny Green might have made a bold statement by claiming Joel Embiid is a mix of 7ft Kobe and Shaq. Back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Shaquille O’Neal was the most dominant center in the league. Combined with Kobe’s abilities to poach inside the paint, the duo became an almost-invincible team-up for the league. Observing these similar attributes in Joel Embiid, Danny Green commented:
“A 7-foot Kobe/Shaq, basically that’s what he is… But there’s still a level I think he can get to and he knows it too. He could be the most dominant player to come into our league. But ultimately he is Shaq. Now imagine if Shaq could throw free-throws, throw threes.”
Indeed, Joel Embiid combines all the necessary qualities to overpower games, just like Shaq. This is the reason why Danny Green believes Joel Embiid has the capabilities to become the most dominant player. However, after a game-win against the New York Knicks last season, Embiid made it clear how he wants to create his own identity rather than being compared to Shaq for his skills.
Joel Embiid combines the skills of a guard and a big man during games
Those watching Joel Embiid’s games closely may have noticed his ability to combine the skills of both a guard and a center. Embiid was always fascinated watching Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan’s plays while learning basketball. This fascination made him adapt to their game styles, despite knowing he should have followed the game of big men like Shaq and Dirk Nowitzki.
Being an ardent student of the sport, Embiid combines his strength as a big man and the skills of a guard to upskill himself. Hence, we can easily expect Embiid to utilize this versatility in a 1-5 lineup.
