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Kevin Garnett Calls Out Joel Embiid, Says He Should Take Rest of NBA Season Off

Matt Levine

Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

The NBA has seen a strong cast of characters come through the league over the years with former star Kevin Garnett being one of the more entertaining. Since his playing days, Garnett has transitioned over to being an NBA analyst, doing a podcast where he can continue to talk about the game he loves.

Garnett recently called out Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid, saying that the former MVP should just sit the rest of the season out. Embiid has been hampered by injuries this season and has been limited to just 17 games this season.

“Embiid, Big Fella, let's get some fresh air. Go and shut it down. Get your body right. Go ahead and get the surgery. Bro, he not gonna be ready for the season, bro.”

The 76ers as a whole have experienced a tough year, with multiple players suffering injuries. Embiid has been at the forefront of this and the team has massively underperformed this year.

For the season, the former MVP has averaged 24.9 points, 8.9 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.0 blocks per game. Even when he has been available for the 76ers, Embiid hasn't looked right and it has hurt the team throughout the year.

While it's unlikely that Embiid will take the rest of the season off, it's an interesting thought from Garnett. If the 76ers continue to lose games, the star could consider the move to give himself more time to fully heal and get ready for next season.

Currently, the 76ers sit with a record of 20-34, sitting in 11th place within the Eastern Conference standings. While Phialdelphia is only 1.5 games back of the final Play-In spot, it could be an uphill climb for this team to reach the postseason.

But if they can reach the playoffs and enter healthy, the 76ers could be a dangerous team. They have the star power to give opponents some problems so due to this, it's very unlikely that Embiid shuts everything down before he absolutely has to.

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Matt Levine
MATT LEVINE

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