Former NBA Player Claims Joel Embiid Requires a Russell Westbrook-Type Player

By Eric August 20, 2023416 views

In a recent installment of “Gil’s Arena,” former NBA player Gilbert Arenas articulated the perspective that Joel Embiid Requires a Russell Westbrook-like teammate embodying the attributes of LA Clippers guard.

“He needs a Westbrook style,” Arenas said of the Philadelphia 76ers star. “He needs a Westbrook. Someone who is gonna demand – like, nah we’re not doing that sh-t. Like he needs that type of personality, because Joel is the type of person that does step up to that type of environment.”

Arenas expressed his opinion that Joel Embiid, the reigning MVP, could potentially thrive under the leadership style demonstrated by a player saying Joel Embiid Requires a Russell Westbrook-caliber player. He emphasized that Embiid would likely excel within the framework of such a leadership dynamic. Known for his endorsement of Westbrook on his show, Arenas recounted an anecdote involving Bradley Beal‘s introduction to practicing alongside Westbrook during their shared tenure with the Washington Wizards:

“Hold on. Hold on. Give me the ball,” Arenas said Westbrook told his new Wizards teammates. “Y’all know who the f–k that is? Bradley motherf–king Beal right there. All-Star. All-NBA player. Y’all went up seven times, he didn’t get the ball. Who the f–k do y’all think y’all are? That’s Bradley fu–ing Beal right there. He’s supposed to get the ball all seven times… [Beal] said no one has ever said that sh-t, man.”

It is narratives like this that bolster Arenas’ conviction that Joel Embiid could derive benefit from the influence of a leader akin to Westbrook. Although Arenas did not insinuate that the two players would inevitably become teammates, he did convey the notion that the presence of a player of Westbrook’s caliber alongside him could prove advantageous for the star player of the 76ers.