Joel Embiid, Who Didn't Play Basketball Before Age 16, Opens Up ...

AllLatestNewsletter HubES ThinkTankNFLGolfCollege FootballMLBCollege BasketballNBANASCARWNBATennisBoxingOlympicsUFCSwimmingTrack and FieldGymnasticsSoccerHome/NBAJoel Embiid, Who Didn?t Play Basketball Before Age 16, Opens up About Not Feeling ?Good Enough? to Make It to the NBAByChaitanya Sharma

Mar 16, 2022 | 9:00 PM EDT

Link Copied!Home/NBAJoel Embiid, Who Didn?t Play Basketball Before Age 16, Opens up About Not Feeling ?Good Enough? to Make It to the NBAByChaitanya Sharma

Mar 16, 2022 | 9:00 PM EDT

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Joel Embiid has been in the NBA for 5 years now. Philadelphia 76ers drafted Joel in the 2014 NBA draft as their 3rd overall pick. Unfortunately, he could not play for the next 2 years because of his foot injury. The injury kept him out of action, but the 76ers kept their faith in him. He made his debut on October 26, 2016. Ever since his debut, he has started every game he has played in. Five years into his career, 7?0 center seems on top of his game.

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This season, especially Joel Embiid, has been extraordinary. Joel has partnered up with James Harden pretty well and the duo looks formidable. This will only make Embiid even better. However, Joel does not seem to need much help because of the abilities he has both on and off the ball.

WATCH THIS STORY: Top Embiid secrets you must know.

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Joel Embiid lacked self belief in his rookie days

Joel Embiid is a confident individual. You can tell from his presence on the court that he is someone who has full control over the games because of the belief he has in himself. He does not look like someone to get intimidated by a challenge. He seems like someone who completely trusts his abilities. However, this was not always the case. Before getting picked by the 76ers and during the first two years because of injury, Embiid lacked self belief and he shared that on The Draymond Green Show.

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Also read: Embiid shares his take on Ben Simmons leaving on The Draymond Green Show.

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Joel shared how he did not believe in himself. He told his agent at the time that he would be willing to take any deal that came his way. Joel said that the way other people looked at him was way different from how he looked at his own potential. He shared how he did not even play basketball until he was 16. But all this changed when he got the chance to be a part of a basketball camp in Cameroon.

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?I didn?t even want to go to [the camp] because I had just started playing basketball like three months before that. So I was like yo I?m not good enough. You know these guys they?ve been playing basketball their whole lives and there?s no way I?m gonna get picked for his camp.? said Joel.

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?And that was at the time I thought I was gonna be in college for like five years and I really didn?t think I had the potential to be in the NBA because my whole goal coming to america was to use this basketball opportunity to try to get a degree and make something out of my life. Go back home and you know make money and help my family. And all that stuff so I never believed that I had any chance in basketball.? Embiid shared his experience after which he started feeling good about himself as a basketball player.

Joel Embiid is currently in contention for the MVP award. It seems to be a three-man race between him, Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo. All three competitors seem equally deserving. The race is heating up. Going into the business end of the season, Joel Embiid hopes to continue his brilliant season to clinch one of the highest honors in the NBA.?

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