Joel Embiid feels like he could’ve been the GOAT if it wasn’t for freak injuries, comments on LeBron James and cheesesteaks during interview with the New York Times

Joel Embiid did a 30+ minute interview with the The New York Times and had plenty of things to say about the current state of the NBA, trolling people on Twitter, playing in Philadelphia, and his decision to play for Team USA in the 2024 Olympic Games.

For whatever reason, Joel Embiid remains one of the most scrutinized players in the NBA and of course, the internet will have a field day with the majority of the comments made in the interview.

We’ll start with a comment specifically for Philly fans, who oddly take issue with pretty much any comment regarding cheesesteaks.

Joel Embiid on Philly Cheesesteaks:

“I don’t eat cheesesteaks. You wanna know the real answer? The best cheesesteak is the Subway cheesesteak.”

Subway cheesesteaks are nasty so I figured we would get that quote out of the way as quickly as possible before turning to more comments from Embiid, including the confidence he has in himself in becoming the greatest basketball player of all time.

Joel Embiid didn’t hold back on NBA GOAT Talk:

I never understood all the hate he gets because it was practically a miracle that he was able to overcome all the injuries he suffered when he first joined the NBA.

Sixers fans will be the first to tell you, from being unsure if he will ever play for the team to him becoming an MVP and arguably the best player in the league when he’s healthy, Embiid has what it takes to at least be mentioned in the debate.

Embiid isn’t entirely wrong. He has the most points per minute in NBA history – beating out players like Michael Jordan, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and Luka Doncic.

This stat truly highlights how dominant Embiid is when he’s healthy and on the court. He’s an unstoppable scorer at the center position who has a physically dominant and finesse low post game paired with a pull up jumper that’s comparable to Kevin Durant. His high free throw rate and percentage from the line is a testament to not only how un-guardable he is but how much fear he strikes into opposing team’s defenses.

Joel Embiid with an honest assessment on LeBron James:

“You look at the talent that the U.S. has, but there’s equal talent on other teams. And the talent that’s on the U.S. team, you also got to understand most of those guys are older. The LeBron now is not the LeBron that was a couple of years ago. So it’s a big difference. Everybody would also tell you, and you can see for yourself, the athletic LeBron, dominant that he was a couple of years ago, is not the same that he is now. I think people get fooled by the names on paper. But those names have been built throughout their career, and now they’re older. They’re not what they used to be.” [NYT]

Note: LeBron James hit the game-winner on Saturday to save Team USA from an embarrassing loss to South Sudan. The 39-year-old Lakers star led all scorers with 25 points, while Embiid added 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists for Team USA.

‘The Interview’: Joel Embiid Believes He Could Have Been the GOAT

Join The Chase