Joel Embiid: 'I Owe Sam Hinkie A Lot'
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Joel "The Process" Embiid.
It's a nickname Embiid has embraced, and whether you like it or not, it's an ode to Sixers ex-GM Sam Hinkie.
Embiid was asked if he still communicates with Hinkie by NBA.com's David Aldridge.
"Yeah, we text sometimes," Embiid said. "We talk to each other sometimes. I mean, that's the guy that drafted me, and he made sure he put everything in place so I could get healthy. And I got healthy and I got back on the court. And I feel like he basically kind of lost his job because of me, because I missed two years. So I feel like I owe him a lot. Yeah, we talk. We talk sometimes."
The Sixers, thanks to four losses in a row, fell to 13-13 on the season -- still a strong start considering their difficult schedule to begin the season.
Embiid is averaging 23.5 points, 11.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.0 blocks per game in 21 games this season. The Sixers are amid a stretch of five national TV games over their next 11, drawing more national coverage each and every day.
Most recently, ESPN The Mag released this feature of Embiid with Ramona Shelburne, where he talks more about Hinkie.
"To me it was like, we've gone through so much, and I get that Sam Hinkie wasn't the most loved in Philly, but that was the guy who drafted me," Embiid said. "I still like him. He did a lot for me."
