Joel Embiid Should Stop Making Excuses and Win Gold, Demands Stephen A. Smith

After a tough win over South Sudan, Team USA was again tested by the German National Basketball team. Scraping by with a 92-88 win over Germany, Team USA hasn’t been able to display the same level of dominance as before. And amid all this, Joel Embiid’s comments regarding LeBron James drew the wrong attention from Stephen A. Smith and others.

Embiid recently gave his take on King James, stating he isn’t the same player he was a few years ago. And that will be a problem if Team USA wants to win gold, leading up to Stephen A. Smith’s reaction.

“Here you are on the Olympic stage. All I’m saying is this; you are going for the gold. I don’t want to hear all that…I’m just saying for me, I don’t wanna hear that. I want to hear that after you win. Or I wanna hear that from somebody else who has won. But you? (Joel Embiid.) I need you to be that dude that you are when you are healthy so you can dominate and bring it home.”

Smith had nothing but praise for James. He cited how The Akron Hammer is one of those superstars who is on another level, not just physically, but mentally as well. He is the reason why arenas fill up and James always makes sure to come through for his team in the clutch. Much like he did for Team USA against South Sudan in their previous outing.

The NBA analyst also criticized Joel Embiid’s playoff record, pointing out the number of knockouts he has experienced over the years. Smith demanded that Embiid not only play the way he does when he’s healthy with the Philadelphia 76ers but also stop harboring on LeBron James’ age when he is still the best player on the team.

Will Joel Embiid be brought off the bench?

Joel Embiid’s performances against other national teams have not been quite up to the mark in the games Team USA has played so far. Being the former MVP of the league, Embiid’s numbers just haven’t been what they are supposed to be. Now, the general consensus is that Anthony Davis might possibly be replacing Joel Embiid in the starting five for Team USA.

The team coach, Steve Kerr expressed, “We’ve been looking at other guys around them and we obviously do have great options. But, I like those three guys together.”

However, Kerr has reiterated how he would probably keep Embiid, Stephen Curry, and LeBron James in the lineup regardless of how other teams play the US on the floor. We will have to wait and see if there will be a change in the starting lineup after watching Team USA struggle to take on other teams.