If you think life is tough, try stepping into Joel Embiid‘s shoes. After entering the new season with a gold medal around his neck, the big man believed he would lead the Philadelphia 76ers to success. Instead, things quickly took a turn for the worse. First, it was his troublesome knee, which was followed by his infamous suspension, and before long, he was back to square one with his knee injury. Although he appeared in four games, his presence didn’t help the team secure wins. So, the criticisms kept coming at a high pace and now fans are targeting him over the drop in the team’s ticket prices.

According to the ticket marketplace TickPick, tickets for last night’s Sixers versus Magic game were available for as low as $2. The main reason for this was the team’s 5-14 record, which dropped to 5-15 by the end of the game. On top of that, both superstars Joel Embiid and Paul George were unavailable for the fixture.

Despite being a top-tier team, the reduction in ticket prices below the standard rate is certainly surprising. As the news quickly circulated on social media, fans from everywhere gathered to share their witty and entertaining reactions, adding to the buzz surrounding the event.

Fans blame Joel Embiid for falling ticket prices

“Fans don’t even wanna watch no more 😭” claimed one fan. The journey so far has been filled with uncertainty and obstacles for the Philly side. It started with Embiid’s absence due to the left knee injury and George’s inconsistency has contributed to their poor record. As a result, some fans have lost faith in the team. And according to this fan, the loyal supporters no longer want to attend games just to watch their team lose.

Another fan felt it was not something unexpected. “Yeah I’m so sure this is “UNBELIEVABLE”. 2/3 big stars are out and our role players are average. Pretty believable if you ask me,” they wrote. Prior to the game, it was announced that both Embiid and George would be ruled out due to their respective left knee injuries. Considering these circumstances, the outcome was expected, which is why ticket prices were reduced.

Someone commented, “Caitlyn Clark has more pull than embiid 🤣.” No one is unaware of Caitlin Clark’s impact on the WNBA and the basketball community overall. The Indiana star has been drawing crowds to arenas since her early days, and thanks to her, the women’s basketball league is finally receiving the much-deserving boost. So the fan sarcastically compared her ability to attract more attendees to the court than the Cameroonian stars.

“No one in that city believes in Joel Embiid,” a fan boldly stated further suggesting, “Trade him while you still can.” While the 7-footer is undoubtedly their top scorer, his inconsistency has undeniably cost the franchise. However, recently, in September, Embiid signed a 3-year $193 million extension with the Sixers, so it’s highly unlikely that Philly would consider trading their star player anytime soon.

Given the team’s current performance, one fan speculated, “They’ll be free by February” suggesting that the franchise might give away tickets “just to get ppl in the arena so it doesn’t look empty on TV.” The team has struggled both at home and on road trips, falling behind with little sign of improvement. So, it’s understandable that a majority of the fanbase wouldn’t attend the game if they keep losing like this. However, it was just a humorous take by the fan and there’s no reason to believe the team will actually give away tickets.

With so much happening in Philadelphia, it will be interesting to see how the Sixers handle this challenging time. Meanwhile, ESPN reports indicate that Joel Embiid is ramping up his efforts to get back on the floor and help lift his team from the bottom half to the top half of the Eastern Conference standings.