Joel Embiid questions why he isn’t called “The Process” anymore in intros

Drew Smith
January 26, 2026
Sixers
0 Comments

Joel Embiid is unclear why he isn’t introduced as The Process anymore during player introductions at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in South Philly.

I honestly didn’t know it changed, but Embiid is saying no one even told him that there would be a change and he’s confused because he’s quite literally The Process.

Obviously, Joel Embiid is right and someone needs to get Matt Cord on the phone because this can’t happen. Again, Joel Embiid is The Process and I have no idea why they would remove it from the introductions.

I know that this organization has been so scared of the phrase ever since the NBA came in and kicked Sam Hinkie out of The Association, but to acknowledge Embiid as anything but The Process, is simply wrong.

Joel Embiid: The Process

Joel Embiid is unsure why he’s no longer called ‘The Process’ during player introductions, says he wasn’t told about the change:

“I’m surprised. I’m the Process!”

(via @APgelston) pic.twitter.com/gZJVInNBOo
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) January 25, 2026

Of course, the internet did what it always does.

The replies instantly turned into the same tired garbage. The Process was a failure. Embiid is always hurt. There needs to be a conclusion, not a process. Blah blah blah. It’s the rats online sprinting to the comments to get their takes off while ignoring what’s been obvious for a decade.

Joel Embiid is The Process. Not a slogan.

Not a hashtag. Not a marketing campaign that ends because some random account with an anime avatar decided it’s time.

The Process is Joel Embiid. It started when he arrived, and it ends when he’s done playing basketball in Philadelphia.

That was the deal. The blood pact. Trust the Process as long as Embiid is here.

If you’ve been paying attention, you know the Process has never been clean. It has been injuries, missed picks, wasted seasons, front office chaos, shifting timelines, and a revolving door of co-stars. It has been betrayal with constant change.

It has been the league clowning the Sixers every time something went sideways too, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t real. It means it was hard. That’s literally what makes it a process.

The funniest part is Embiid is still out here proving the entire thing is alive.

After a miserable 2024-25 season, the Sixers have been playing better basketball and the tone around the team has flipped. Tyrese Maxey is playing like an All-NBA guy and carrying a ridiculous load every night.

Embiid has been back to looking like a wrecking ball when he’s out there, piling up 30-point games and reminding everyone what the ceiling looks like. VJ Edgecombe has real Rookie of the Year momentum and he plays like he expects to deliver in big moments.

Still, this is a franchise that is always one injury report away from chaos and that’s the problem. Nothing with the Sixers is ever straightforward. You can have momentum, confidence, and a stretch where Embiid looks like the best player on the planet, and then the next day you’re staring at the injury report like it’s a lottery ticket.

Heading into a Monday matchup in Charlotte, both Embiid and Paul George were on the report, with a back-to-back coming up against Milwaukee.

That is the Sixers reality. They don’t live on normal timelines. They live on maintenance, management, and trying to keep their stars upright long enough for the real games.

Joel Embiid and Paul George being ruled out for left knee injury management against the Hornets is frustrating, but it’s also predictable. The Sixers are 24-20, the East is tight, and they’re barely clear of the play-in mess. The organization also knows what happens when they get reckless. This team cannot afford to treat January like it’s May.

That’s what makes all the “Process is over” talk so dumb.

The Process never promised a smooth ride. It promised a shot and a window. As long as Joel Embiid is still capable of being an MVP-level monster, The Process is still alive whether people like it or not.

So yeah, call him The Process in the introductions. It’s not a nickname you retire because the internet got bored. It’s literally who he is, and the entire era still runs through him.