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NBA AFRICA GAME 2018

August 1, 2018

Joel Embiid

Pretoria, South Africa

Q. LeBron James this week said he thought long and hard about signing with the Sixers. Did you think that was a reality? Did you talk to him about signing to come to Philadelphia?
JOEL EMBIID: I thought we had a chance. I'm a player. I always felt like it's not my job to be in the middle of all that. I don't like to be involved in front-office stuff. I always felt like he didn't need my help if he was going to do it. I thought we had a chance. It is whatever.

We have a great group of guys. A lot of guys coming back. Last year, we won 52 games. This next year is going to be even much better with the addition of Wilson Chandler. I expect Markelle [Fultz] to be back to himself.

Q. Talk a little bit about your first experience with Basketball Without Borders back in 2011. What that experience meant to you, how it shaped your vision for the future. Just the importance of it.
JOEL EMBIID: It was great. Back in 2011, I was kind of kind of shy. I wasn't as good because that was the year also when I started playing basketball. Just being here, being around other guys that were obviously much better than me, it was tough. I was shy.

By the end of the weekend, I felt comfortable. I had a great time. I ended up kind of showing my potential. I got a scholarship to come to the States. Other than that, I had a lot of fun with all the other guys. The coaches and everyone, they were all fun to be around.

Q. Today you seemed to have a really good time with the kids, dunking, super relaxed. Coming to an event like this, does it bring back a nostalgic vibe? Is it a more fun weekend than most? Do you enjoy it for what it is?
JOEL EMBIID: Yeah, it's fun for me. I think as long as God allows me, as long as my schedule allows me, that's something I want to do every year, just come back and give back. When I was in that situation, I felt great being among NBA players. I wanted to learn from them. I wanted to touch them because I was so amazed by them.

I feel like me now being in this situation, I feel they also feel that way. I feel that's a way for me to kind of give back and show them how it's done. At the same time, it's also a way for me to grow the game of basketball in Africa. I feel like we have a lot of talent, undiscovered talent, that can have a chance just like I did. They just need an opportunity.

It's great. I enjoy. It's really fun for me being among the kids, being able to walk out with all the other NBA guys.

Q. With LeBron moving to the Western Conference, does that change your mindset in Philadelphia as far as your competitiveness in the East? Or is it kind of just the same approach as any other?
JOEL EMBIID: It's the same approach. Last year, we had a goal. Our goals throughout the season change. First it was to make the playoffs. We had a run at the end of the year. We were like, We have a chance.

We get to the first round, which was pretty, I would say, easy. Then I felt like we had a pretty good chance against Boston, too. They kind of caught us off guard, but they're a really good team. They have a lot of talent.

From there after, our goal was to go to the Finals. I feel we had the right pieces. We kept telling each other, We can do this. We've come a long way. We won 52 games, which nobody thought would happen. We won 16 games in a row. We just thought that we had a chance to go to the Finals.

Doesn't change. The approach doesn't change. Still the same. We're just going to do our thing.

Q. You're going into the offseason after a full season, healthy season, really good season. Is there anything you're trying to add to your repertoire, your game, this summer?
JOEL EMBIID: No, just working on everything. I feel like I have everything. I just need to be more consistent. This is the first summer where I'm actually healthy and able to play basketball. I was pretty excited. I've already gotten so much better.

It's just about working on everything, perfecting everything. Like when it comes to my three-point shot or the ball handling, which was a problem. I feel like I can do it, but I just need to be consistent.

You can also say I'm kind of new to the game. I'm still learning a lot. I feel like I still have a lot of potential, a lot of stuff to show. I've just been working on everything.

Q. A lot of great players have come from Africa before. In today's age with social media, with how available the NBA is, how available its players are to everyone around the world, do you think you maybe have a little more impact on being able to get kids interested in basketball who otherwise wouldn't have been?
JOEL EMBIID: I don't know. I don't think that question is for me to answer. But I can kind of say I've had guys come up to me or tell me they love and they enjoy everything I do on social media. I feel like that has an impact. Pretty close to Mo Bamba as he is coming into the league. He wants to really model everything after me, which is great. I appreciate it.

At the same time, if you don't have it, you don't have it. You have to have some sense of humor. You have to be funny in some ways. You have to have something. If you don't have it, you don't have it.

I'm not the only one who changed perspective on social media. I have fun on it, express yourself. Obviously, I'm one of the main guys. I'm sure there's also a lot of guys out there. I've always viewed social media as a way to express myself. I don't back down from anybody. I say what I want. I have a voice. I feel like people listen, and I appreciate that. I'm just going to keep being myself and just do what I've been doing.

Q. Can I get your thoughts on this offseason in general? I know it's been hard with Bryan Colangelo being dismissed. In terms of the grand visions you had of adding a huge free agent, how much pressure do you put on yourself now to elevate your game to keep this ship moving in the right direction, even though it's probably been a disappointing offseason?
JOEL EMBIID: I don't think it matters, big free agent or not. My goal going into the offseason was to get better. I want to win the MVP. I feel like at the end of the day it might be an individual award, but when I play better, the team also does. I feel like if I'm an MVP candidate or if I win the MVP, that means we are on another level.

When my season ended, there was a lot of talk about adding guys. I literally did not really care because I want to get better. I want to be better than those guys that were mentioned, if I'm not already better than them. That was my message, just going into the offseason, finally the first one healthy and able to do whatever I want. That was my goal regardless.

Q. Part of this NBA Africa Game is honoring the legacy of Nelson Mandela, who really understood the power of sports to impact society. Talk about what his example kind of means to you and just how important it is for you guys to honor his legacy, kind of keep moving forward some of his thoughts and visions around bringing people together.
JOEL EMBIID: Oh, he did a lot. His vision, he sacrificed himself. Sports helps a lot. I feel like sports brings a lot of people together.

I would take the example of the World Cup in soccer. When you talk about the World Cup, I think that's probably the most watched event probably on the planet because soccer is so big. You just see the excitement. I'm a huge soccer fan. A lot of people don't understand it, but just watching every game, the intensity, the fun that the people have. That's all sports. If you hated somebody and you are supporting the same team, you have to come together. Support the same team so they can win it all.

He did a lot of great things, which I appreciate a lot. Sports, his vision was always about -- not always, but part of it was also about sports. Now me being in that position, I'm in a position where I'm able to give back. I have to give back because of the people that paved the way for us.

Q. You mentioned you're a big football fan. You're a huge Real Madrid fan. What are your thoughts on Cristiano Ronaldo leaving for Juve?
JOEL EMBIID: I wasn't actually surprised. I heard it was going to happen, so I was already prepared for it. Real Madrid is the best team in the world for a reason. There's talent in every position. But obviously losing a guy like Cristiano Ronaldo, who is one of the best players in the world, can be tough. There are a lot of guys that can fill in. There's a lot of options. It's Real Madrid. Players are always going to want to play for them. I mean, you might lose one or two, but it's going to be fine there. Always going to be competitive and win the Champions League like they've been doing the past couple years.

Q. Do you follow Cameroon's football team?
JOEL EMBIID: I kind of do. I know the last African Cup, we won it. We used to be really good. Nowadays, it's kind of hard. It's kind of tough, especially when you used to watch the team back in the day. We had so many good players at every position. Nowadays, the talent has kind of fallen apart.

We were still able to win the African Cup. We are going to organize the African Cup in 2019. I wish I could make it, but I think it's during the season, so I won't be able to. I kind of still follow a little bit.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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