Joel Embiid "a big lazybones", Gilbert Arenas lays into the Cameroonian

Great athletes are not spared criticism. And in the NBA, even less so. The North American basketball league has a reputation for being merciless when it comes to speaking plainly. Joel Embiid can vouch for that. Despite top-class performances for several years in Philadelphia, the Cameroonian is the target of some of the sharpest criticism. The latest to fire a shot is Gilbert Arenas. The former player, retired since 2013, did not hesitate to use blunt language on the show Inspiredbyhoops.

"Until somebody tells Joel Embiid he's lazy, nothing will change. That's just how it is, he's lazy. And if he's that lazy and can win an MVP trophy, it means he's good. Now I'd ask a Philadelphia fan, who played harder? Him or Allen Iverson? He's a big lazybones, someone needs to give him Iverson's motor. If you want to compare f***ing superstars, compare his abilities on the court to Al's. And you have to compare who played harder for Philadelphia. Wish that for Embiid. That's the kind of Embiid you should be looking for", says Gilbert Arenas.

The only MVP in history without a conference finals appearance

A jibe that is likely to leave a bitter taste for Joel Embiid. The giant has indeed been carrying the Sixers on his back for several seasons. Proof of that: the centre has just finished as the league's top scorer two years running. What's more, he was named MVP in 2022-2023, ahead of Nikola Jokic. Even so, his critics still reproach him for not producing the same output in the play-offs. But in his defence, he has never been 100% physically fit at the end of the season. As a result, he has so far never played in a conference final. The only MVP in history in that position. And what if, as Gilbert Arenas says, he simply needed a shake-up and to be rid of his "laziness"?

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