Larry Brown Hopes 76ers' Joel Embiid is Tuned Into Michael Jordan's 'Last Dance'
As Michael Jordan's 'Last Dance' documentary airs, former Philadelphia 76ers head coach Larry Brown is hoping that Sixers' center Joel Embiid is paying attention. We all know about Michael Jordan's accomplishments as a player, but it didn't all come from purely being talented. Jordan's success came with hard work and leadership.
Not every star player possesses that quality. Sometimes, players can be extremely talented but lack other critical skills, which can hold a team back from accomplishing the highest honor in the NBA.
76ers center Joel Embiid has made it clear in the past that becoming a leader and helping the Sixers win a championship the ultimate goal. Therefore, Hall of Fame head coach Larry Brown hopes that Embiid is soaking everything in as 'The Last Dance' airs, because he sees the Sixers' big man as the NBA's cream of the crop at his position.
"When I see Joel [Embiid], I don't think anybody is better than him," Brown said on NBC Sports Philadelphia's Sixers Talk podcast. "I don't think there's a better big man in the game than him. I knew him when he was at Kansas. . .they thought he was the best player that ever went to Kansas."
"My hope for him is that he would think about Kobe [Bryant] and Michael [Jordan], and watch The Last Dance and realize the gift that he has and just spend all of his time working on that craft because there's nobody that can be more dominant than him."
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Injury concerns aside, Embiid is inevitably one of the best bigs in the game. Although his effort and commitment to basketball have been questioned a handful of times throughout the 2019-2020 NBA season, the Sixers' big man could use the time off to get into optimal shape and be mentally ready for whatever the NBA brings next. Perhaps, 'The Last Dance' issues model information for the All-Star, because he could learn a thing or two from watching Jordan.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_