Joel Embiid is an on-court menace in trash-talking and goes overboard with his theatrics in front of the referees. However, such kind of attitude was well-balanced with his sheer talent. But this time, he has got the attention of the fans for his so-called arrogance. The 76ers star was great in the last regular season. However, as the postseason approached, Joel Embiid could not rise to the occasion, missing 9 games. This did not depict a good image as a leader or MVP. The stinging narrative was blurring away after his performances in clutch games at the Paris Olympics. However, a recent update from rookie Jared McCain brought all of it back.

Jared McCain, the five-star recruit from Duke, appeared on Paul George‘s podcast. Surprisingly, when the 9x All-Star asked his team’s rookie about his interaction with Joel Embiid, the young gun replied, “Haven’t had an interaction with Joel — little nervous for that one.” It has been almost two months since the Sixers drafted the No. 16 pick. Yet the so-called leader and talisman of the coveted franchise did not get the chance to interact with the young prospect even once? It’s concerning…

Well, it did not seem concerning during the podcast, as both Paul George and Jared McCain chuckled after the rookie’s response, instantly moving on. However, this did not go well with the viewers who had the time to process the news. Understandably, Joel Embiid departed for the Team USA camp soon after the draft. But as a matter of fact, any kind of interaction that failed to take place for some reason drew fans’ wrath for the veteran.

Joel Embiid’s unexpected actions compel fans to detest the Sixers’ leader

It’s not like Jared McCain is an average player. His extraordinary 41.4% shooting from deep, averaging 14.8 points with Duke Blue Devils last season, makes him an elite college player. The 20-year-old will be a new addition to the artillery of Philly’s perimeter offense. Yet Joel Embiid, seemingly taking such a talented prospect lightly, left fans in distress as one of the X users said, “Not a Leader.”

The Process is one of the core members and veterans on the roster. So it is important to stay in touch with the young stars to make them comfortable. Obviously, because of the lack of him doing so, this fan deemed the Sixers icon lacking leadership qualities.

The same opinion resonated with another person, who commented, “Yeah, I don’t like this. Be a leader, dude.” Whatever Joel Embiid faces on the court with his injury woes is understandable and it’s not easy to focus on the game with all the pain that an athlete goes through, however with more experience comes more responsibility, doesn’t it?

Another fan addressed the communication gap between the veteran and younger ones on the team, as he wrote, “Wait, what? he got drafted like two months ago. why hasn’t Jo reached out yet?” As mentioned above, the Paris Olympics campaign was hectic for Joel Embiid. However, he could have devised a way to get in touch with the young rookie, at least on a phone call.

The questionable accountability from him is not new to the fans. Even in May this year, after the playoff exit, the Sixers star said, “Me and James (Harden), we just can’t win alone.” From the looks of it, Joel Embiid was indirectly sliding the responsibility of crashing out on his teammates before accepting his faults. Even Tyrese Maxey recently admitted that The Process wasn’t too talkative when he joined.

One of the X users made a breakdown of Jared McCain’s comment, posting, “Maybe he means in person? It’s concerning if he hasn’t texted him or anything at all but I assume by interacting he hasn’t actually met him yet.” It might be the case since the rookie did not specify what kind of interaction he missed with Embiid. If it hasn’t happened in person but by text or call, it’ll not be that bad.

However, the lack of any kind of interaction might be a troublesome picture for Joel’s leadership. It’s also worth noting that the Sixers star might’ve reached out later, as the podcast on which Jared McCain confessed got recorded soon after the draft.

Another fan called out the irresponsible behavior from the Sixers star, commenting, “Love embiid but no excuse to not reach out to new members of the team, especially the young guys.” The rookies learn from stars, and the former MVP is already on his way to becoming an NBA legend in the future. So, not having any mentorship sessions after all this time is highly concerning, isn’t it?

Hopefully, the Sixers star might meet Jared McCain on September 30 on the occasion of the franchise’s Annual Media Day. Going through it all, what’s your opinion on Joel Embiid’s action? Let us know in the comments.

Before you go, do not forget to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Asia Avinger