Inside The Phillies

NBA Superstar Makes Surprise Appearance at Philadelphia Phillies Game

A Philadelphia 76ers star showed up to the Phillies-Astros game on Monday.

Tyler Maher

Aug 10, 2024; Paris, France; United States center Joel Embiid (11) celebrates with the gold medal after the game against France.
Aug 10, 2024; Paris, France; United States center Joel Embiid (11) celebrates with the gold medal after the game against France. / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
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There were 39,627 fans at Citizens Bank Park to see the Philadelphia Phillies take on the Houston Astros on Monday night, but one stood out in particular.

That would be Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid, who was spotted sitting a few rows behind home plate.

Embiid's presence was announced during the game, drawing a big ovation from the crowd. The seven-time All-Star is a fan favorite in Philadelphia, where he's spent his entire eight-year NBA career and won NBA MVP honors in 2022-2023.

Despite being born in Cameroon, Embiid also shined for Team USA this summer, helping the Americans win their fifth straight gold medal in men's basketball. The seven-footer played a pivotal role, starting in five of six games and averaging 11.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 16.8 minutes per game.

Embiid, who was surrounded by regular fans and appeared to be sitting by himself, seemed to enjoy the game. He recorded much of the action on his phone, including Bryce Harper's walk-off hit in the bottom of the 10th inning.

After the game, Embiid posted his video of Harper's game-winning hit to his Instagram story.

The 30-year-old has been to Phillies games before, but Monday's may have been the most exciting. In a 2022 World Series rematch with the Astros, Philadelphia fell behind 2-0 in the fourth inning on Shay Whitcomb's two-run double off Zack Wheeler.

The Phillies rallied against Ronel Blanco in the middle innings. Brandon Marsh put them on the board with his fifth-inning solo shot, while Nick Castellanos knotted the score with his RBI single in the bottom of the sixth.

The game stayed tied and went to extra innings. Johan Rojas made a phenomenal diving catch to end the top of the 10th, setting the stage for Harper's heroics in the bottom of the frame.

Philadelphia improved to 77-54 with its third straight win, seemingly confirming that its midseason swoon is over. Based on how the Phillies played in front of Embiid, he should start coming to games more often.

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Tyler Maher
TYLER MAHER

Tyler is a writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Phillies. He grew up in Massachusetts and is a huge Boston sports fan, especially the Red Sox. He went to Tufts University and played club baseball for the Jumbos. Since graduating, he has worked for MLB.com, The Game Day, FanDuel and Forbes. When he's not writing about baseball, he enjoys running, traveling, and playing fetch with his golden retriever.

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