Philadelphia 76ers seven-footer Joel Embiid has hardly kept it a secret that Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant was one of his favorite players growing up, and that he tries to emulate Bryant’s “mentality” when he steps onto the court.
Whether Embiid will ever reach Bryant’s level of greatness obviously remains to be seen. But he certainly produced star-like numbers in the Sixers’ win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in front of a national audience on Thursday night, rumbling for 17 points on 7-for-18 shooting to go with 14 rebounds and six assists in the victory.
And producing like a star wasn’t the only way Embiid tried to channel his inner Black Mamba.