Joel Embiid says he originally decided to stay another year at Kansas
The Process in Philadelphia apparently came close to looking a lot different.
During a workout on Thursday at Kansas University, where he played his one season of college, Sixers center Joel Embiid revealed that he originally decided to stay in school for another year.
“It was a great feeling,” said Embiid of his time at Kansas, per David Skretta of NBC Sports Philadelphia. “When I was here, I don’t think anybody knows this story, but I actually decided to stay. I loved this place so much. I was actually pushed to leave. But I loved this place so much.
“I’m not going to say,” continued the Cameroonian big man when asked who pushed him to leave. “But it was a tough choice. I still have a lot of love for Kansas, and every time I have a chance to represent, I’m going to do it.”
After averaging 11.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game as freshman, Embiid ultimately entered the 2014 NBA Draft and was taken No. 3 overall by the Sixers. While it was probably the right call to cash in on himself right away, especially given his well-documented injury issues, the what-ifs are enormous. If Embiid had made it through a healthy sophomore season at Kansas, would he have leapfrogged Karl-Anthony Towns as the top pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2015? Would the LA Lakers have gotten him at No. 2 instead of D’Angelo Russell? Or perhaps the Sixers would have wound up with Embiid anyway, as they picked No. 3 again that year and selected Jahlil Okafor.
In any case, the decision to declare in 2014 has worked out to an extent for Embiid through his first few years in the league, and Philly is glad it has.