Ending 11 Years of Friendship With James Harden Despite $14 Million Sacrifice, 50YO Millionaire Risks Shaquille O?Neal?s Anger With Joel Embiid Claim

The Philadelphia 76ers seem to be in disarray. Many fans and analysts claim that the departure of Doc Rivers in May was the turning point. As they are on a hunt this season in the trade market, their president of basketball operations appears to be focusing on a different battle altogether. The 50-year-old’s antics on Twitter could strike a social war after he commented on a tweet shared by NBA icon Shaquille O’Neal.

Daryl Morey has every reason to back his franchise’s superstar Joel Embiid to come out on top in any battle. However, going against Shaq might not be his best decision. After a rugged situation with James Harden, the 76ers executive locked horns with the 15x All-Star.

Daryl Morey publicly goes against Shaquille O’Neal

The heat began when Shaq posted via his Twitter account a picture of him and the current MVP and how Embiid could easily lock up the 3x Finals MVP in his very prime. Big Diesel expressed his views as he mentioned, “I like these conversations. Give me your thoughts. You already know mine. #barbecuechickenalert”

Responding to the post, Morey, who?s fresh out of the off-court situation with Harden, commented with a locked-in emoji. The indication was clear as he rated his franchise star above arguably the best center to enter the NBA court.

It sure would?ve been some treat if the two centers existed in the same era. But when it comes to numbers, Embiid pulls ahead slightly, with a career average of 27.2 points per game with 11.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists. The NBA Hall of Famer, on the other hand, clears the 29-year-old easily in terms of accolades, both team and individual.

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While Morey supporting his player is understandable, it is difficult to imagine Embiid locking up a prime Shaq. For a certain period of time, O’Neal was the best player in the league and he’s arguably the most dominant player of all time. It’ll be safe to say that Morey might have taken another L with this take after the James Harden situation.

James Harden doesn’t want to continue in Philadelphia

James Harden and Daryl Morey?s equation can be traced back to Harden?s trade from Oklahoma City Thunder to the Houston Rockets in 2012. The two shared a compelling relationship, which in turn helped out the 76ers to acquire the services of the former MVP from the Brooklyn Nets last year. The Beard even agreed to forgo a significant part of his salary to give the team more flexibility in the free-agent market last year.

The dynamic shared by the duo took a major blow after the playoffs disappointment this season. This disengagement of Morey, as he started withholding information regarding Harden?s extension with the 76ers forced James Harden to explore his options. The 3-time scoring champion is heavily linked with a move to LA in order to join forces with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

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Morey?s comments and actions are deemed to be controversial. What are your thoughts on him choosing Embiid over Shaq? Let us know in the comments.