Joel Embiid, aka "The Process," is a 7-footer with a social media streak almost as mean as his rim-rattling dunks. But the Philadelphia 76ers' center isn't just a low-post bruiser; he's got a silky-smooth jumper too.
The latter is thanks to "WHITE PEOPLE SHOOTING 3 POINTERS," Embiid revealed in a truly wonderful essay for The Players' Tribune, published Friday. You see, when Embiid was first starting out, he was tall enough to dunk on his opponents and work in the frontcourt, but he severely lacked shooting skills. So, after tiring of consistently losing shooting contests to a teammate, he turned to YouTube to teach him the outside stroke:
I go to the search box like….
HOW TO SHOOT 3 POINTERS.
Nah.
HOW TO SHOOT GOOD FORM
Nah.
Then the light bulb went off, man. I typed in the magic words.
WHITE PEOPLE SHOOTING 3 POINTERS.
Listen, I know it's a stereotype, but have you ever seen a normal, 30-year-old white guy shoot a three-pointer? That elbow is tucked, man. The knees are bent. The follow-through is perfect. Always. [Joel Embiid, via The Players' Tribune]
Embiid goes on to reveal how he spent much of his childhood playing soccer and how his parents urged him toward volleyball before he ended up on the basketball court. At the end, alongside the University of Kansas, his alma mater, and NBA legends like Kobe Bryant and Hakeem Olajuwon, Embiid thanks "random white people" for his hardwood success. Read the entire wildly entertaining essay at The Players' Tribune.
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