Joel Embiid Confessed He’d “Rather Retire” Than Play For Indiana Pacers While Teasing Tyrese Haliburton

Court of Gold dropped on Netflix Tuesday and is already creating a buzz among fans. The documentary spotlights the journeys of the top medal contenders in men’s basketball at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

The show examines the challenges they face and the determination required to achieve greatness on the global stage. But a humorous interaction between Tyrese Haliburton and Joel Embiid in the first episode is grabbing eyeballs —not just because it shows the real camaraderie that exists between the players, but also because of how easily Haliburton is ‘taken’ by Embiid, who has built up quite a rep for his trolls on fellow players.

While sitting on the sidelines, Haliburton half-jokingly asks the former MVP if he’d want to team up with him on the Indiana Pacers. “I might wanna come to Indy,” Embiid responds earnestly.

The Pacers star cracks a smile, thinking he has convinced the superstar center. But then, Embiid withdraws his statement and teases, “Psych! Never in my life. I would rather retire.”

Haliburton immediately laughs, knowing he’s been ‘got’ by Embiid. “Yo, that’s not fair, bro,” the 24-year-old pleads with Embiid. “Next time y’all come to Indy, let’s go to dinner. Come to my crib.” 

Embiid initially turns him down, but after realizing he’d rather be out than stuck in a hotel room on the road, the seven-time All-Star accepts the invitation.

This kind of exchange is nothing new for Embiid, who is (in)famous for his trolling tendencies. The 30-year-old would routinely go at fans, celebrities, and other players alike on social media, undeterred by potential consequences.

Of late, Embiid appears to have somewhat toned down his antagonistic habits on socials, but it’s clear that he still enjoys teasing others whenever the opportunity arises.

How Embiid once tried to recruit Haliburton

While Haliburton’s push for Embiid to join the Pacers may not have been very serious, Embiid’s efforts to convince Hali to come to Philadelphia was quite in earnest. Haliburton shared how his breakout night and a career-high performance in front of the ravenous Philly fans at a time he was rumored to be on the trade block, prompted the Cameroonian to try and recruit him to the Sixers.

Embiid extended an opportunity to Haliburton post play, which he remembers fondly. “After the game, I remember [Embiid] coming like, ‘If you want to come and win, tell your agent to get you traded,'” Haliburton said in his best Embiid impression.

In hindsight, it’s ironic that Embiid was trying to recruit the Indiana guard to Philadelphia, considering the team’s struggles this season. The Pacers are currently 30-23 and ranked fourth in the East, while the Sixers have limped to a 20-24 record and find themselves outside the conference playoff frame.

Maybe Embiid shouldn’t have been so quick to brush off Haliburton’s recruitment attempt during the 2024 Olympics.