“Trae Young and I both complain about fouls”: Joel Embiid gives huge props to the Hawks star for his basketball IQ in earning free throws

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid heaps massive praise onto Trae Young after a game-3 win against the Atlanta Hawks. 

Joel Embiid has been nothing short of inspirational for the Philadelphia 76ers during this postseason. The player has put up some incredible, MVP-caliber performances, despite being hurt in two different places.

As many know, the 27-year-old suffered a lateral meniscal tear in his right knee during the first round. And in game-3, the star seemed to pick up yet another knock, landing awkwardly on Hawks star John Collins’s foot, injuring his left ankle in the process.

Despite being in some serious pain though, Embiid grabbed 27 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists on good efficiency, and of course, a convincing win.

Even though he was on the winning side though, the star just couldn’t ignore the greatness of his opposition. And so, in the postgame interview, he gave some serious time to publicly praise Trae Young. Let’s get into it.

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“It’s hard to guard him”: Joel Embiid announces his thoughts on Trae Young to the world after game-3 

Trae Young has arguably been the most entertaining player to watch during these playoffs. His villain persona, offensive prowess, and high IQ at such a young age have the ability to make onlookers fall in love with the game.

In the past, many critics claimed that the Hawks star would struggle to play winning basketball. But not only is the franchise now in the postseason, but the player has also adjusted to playoff basketball in no time.

And, it seems that his performances have impressed even the great Troell Embiid. Here is what the 76ers star had to say about his second-round opponent.

“He’s a smart player. We complain about fouls, but me being in the same situation about getting on the free-throw line, it’s more about basketball IQ. It’s hard to guard him. You can’t get close to him because he’s smart enough to know how to get to the free-throw line.”

Frankly, we’re a bit surprised by this. After all, you rarely ever see Joel Embiid so openly appreciate an opponent’s game. Could it be the maturity that comes with age?

Mature or not, Embiid and his crew are likely aware that taking a 2-1 series lead isn’t quite worthy of celebration against this resilient Hawks team. And we’re looking forward to both these franchises bringing it in game-4 of this series.

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