Bill Self Recalls When He Realized Joel Embiid was a ‘Different Talent’
Monday night was one of historic significance for Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers, as the former Kansas Jayhawk scored a career-high 70 points in a 133-123 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
Embiid also recorded a career-best 18 rebounds and went 24 of 41 from the field, with a 21 of 23 mark from the free-throw line.
Embiid’s 70-point performance broke a record that stood for nearly 57 years, surpassing Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain’s 68-point game on Dec. 16, 1967. Wilt’s 100-point game came when he was a member of the Philadelphia Warriors in 1962, just before the franchise moved to San Francisco.
If you’ve followed Embiid’s career path, you’re aware that the seven-footer has always been capable of performances like this one. Plus, this season has been the best that we’ve ever seen the 29-year-old play, as he leads the NBA in points per game (36.1) and ranks fifth in the league with 11.6 rebounds per game.
Embiid’s former college coach (for all of eight months) Bill Self was unaware of his former pupil’s performance after a big win of his own on Monday night, but was quick to recognize Embiid’s career night.
“Hey guys, he learned everything in the eight months he was here in Lawrence, Kansas,” Self said with a laugh after learning about Embiid’s 70-point night.
Scott Van Pelt went on to ask when Coach Self knew that Embiid might have a special ceiling, to which Self told an incredible story from the time he spent recruiting Embiid in high school.
“The first time I saw him practice at his high school,” Self said. “He got into it with some kid and started chasing him around the gym. I saw how athletic he was chasing him around the gym and I told Norm, ‘He’s gonna be the No. 1 pick in the draft.’
“He wasn’t, he was third. But yeah, he’s a different talent.”
Embiid has scored 30 or more points in every game he’s appeared in for the 76ers, dating back to Nov. 17, 2023. Philadelphia is 18-3 in that stretch.
