KU needs to lean into the Joel Embiid experience more
Before I get started—BOL BOL!
Block and then the pull up three🔥🔥
This is how the game should be played. I’ve been on the train since 2015. Suffice to say, it’s been a crazy 24 hours in the Bol bubble.
Moving on: Joel Embiid only spent one basketball season at Kansas. Even then, it wasn’t a full one, as injuries famously (read: disastrously) cut his season short. In terms of Embiid’s basketball career so far, that is an eyelash of time. For example, he sat out his first two full NBA seasons to rehab his right foot, meaning he was professionally rehabbing for a longer period than he was a Jayhawk. He basically spent more time in Qatar than he did in Lawrence.
But he’s a Jayhawk, forever, in our imagination. I constantly wonder—why isn’t KU doing more with this?
Since Embiid left in 2015, he has blossomed into the NBA superstar KU has seemingly longed for, an All-NBA candidate to promote just as Duke and Kentucky push Kyrie Irving or Anthony Davis. When KU is out recruiting, you better believe they’re telling prospects about the Jayhawks’ current NBA population—that topic has even been the subject of an official press release from the AD. While the Jayhawks have made rosters all across the league—often in ways that showcase just how valuable the KU experience was—no one other alumnus has the basketball cache and personality of Embiid.
Duke has so many guys in the NBA—25, or about 5% of the league’s population—and their status as a USA youth basketball’s finishing academy has never felt anything close to equitable. College hoops has bigger problems than this, but I felt petty enough to mention it!
**Kelly Oubre might be the coolest person alive—the least interesting thing about him is that he is an NBA player.
𝖮𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝖺 𝖩𝖺𝗒𝗁𝖺𝗐𝗄 // 𝗔𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗮 𝗝𝗮𝘆𝗵𝗮𝘄𝗸
#NBAJayhawks x @JoelEmbiid
In concert with the NBA restart, KU has done a few Embiid-centric social posts. And while many other Jayhawks are in the bubble (the Morrii, Frank Mason, Ben McLemore, Josh Jackson, Oubre, Chieck Diallo), Embiid is the one who will have the most impact on the tournament’s final result. Ben Simmons/Embiid are arguably the best duo remaining in the playoffs next to LeBron/AD, when it comes to how much water they carry for their respective teams. (I know, I know, Kawhi/PG13 have a claim here, but the Clippers are way deeper and we’ve hardly seen those two play together this season).
When at the height of his powers, Embiid is an MVP candidate—he’s brushed off concerns about his conditioning, his overall health and his mindset time and time again. In the scenario that next season will be a shorter one—maybe 45-50ish games, starting around December—I think taking an Embiid MVP bet would be an incredibly attractive idea.
Some of Embiid’s widespread critiques are warranted, certainly—as a personality and a player, he’s always been a lightning rod. We’ve seen many sides of Embiid in his NBA career so far, and his at-times-inefficient pairing with the 24-year-old Ben Simmons fuels plenty of “who is actually more valuable to the Sixers?” conversations. Also, no one seems to enjoy attention as much as Embiid, and this visibility has made him polarizing. Fan biases aside, Embiid is… very funny. His command of social media is unparalleled in sport. For Kansas basketball, there’s much to glom onto. Every opportunity that KU can latch onto Embiid’s success is a win for them and for Embiid.
Also: he loves Lawrence!
In general, I don’t put much stock into jersey retirements. While I enjoy the pageantry, and always watch the players’ speeches, those appointments are generally political ones. Roy raced to retire a number of his players before he left for UNC, leaving many deserving individuals (Keith Langford!) behind. Self’s started to put a few of his own guys in the rafters—Mario Chalmers (who scored 50 in an exhibition last night lmao), Marcus Morris, B Rush—and he’s probably got a few numbers he’ll put in the book before Embiid.
That’s fair. But there’s something to be said about less tangible measures of impact, and Embiid’s season at Kansas will never be forgotten. He should be officially honored by Kansas in the near future and we should be touting his KU legacy at every relevant opportunity.
Basketball is back—rejoice. Here’s to hoping KU shamelessly attaches themselves to the conversation wherever they can.