Larry Brown Hopes 76ers' Joel Embiid is Tuned Into Michael Jordan's 'Last Dance'

Former Philadelphia 76ers head coach Larry Brown is hoping that Joel Embiid is watching and learning from Michael Jordan's 'Last Dance' documentary.

Justin Grasso | May 11, 2020

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."

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_

Published May 11, 2020

JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA