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Shaq Had Some Harsh Words For Joel Embiid In Light Of Recent Play

Shaq has no time for soft play.

Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers can't seem to escape criticism these days. The team is now on a four-game losing streak thanks to their loss against the Milwaukee Bucks. Embiid was overpowered by Giannis Antetokounmpo all night long and didn't seem to be engaged physically. Fans and pundits have been taking notice of Embiid's lack of effort and are now demanding he plays better with the playoffs on the horizon.

One of the people who has been hard on Embiid is none other than Shaq. The NBA on TNT analyst was known for being one of the best big-men in the game and always comes through with some hilarious yet stern criticism. Last night, Shaq roasted Embiid for being too soft and explained how he wants to see him play harder, especially with everything that's on the line.

"When you go 1 for 10, it ain't your coach's fault, it ain't your teammates' fault, it's your fault, period," O'Neal said.

The Sixers are currently sixth in the Eastern Conference and boast a record of 31-21. Prior to the season, many felt like the Sixers could win it all but now, they appear to be a team in disarray. 

What did you think of Shaq's comments.

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Ben Simmons Harshly Rips 76ers After Embarrassing Loss To The Heat


The 76ers were a mess last night.

Despite being hailed as one of the best Eastern Conference teams in the league prior to the season, the Philadelphia 76ers have been a beacon of inconsistency this season. At times, they look like they can beat anyone but on some nights, they are downright awful. Last night, the latter occurred as the 76ers were defeated 137-106 by the Miami Heat. It was a horrible defensive performance that saw Heat star Jimmy Butler score an impressive 38 points.

Immediately following the game, Sixers star Ben Simmons was asked about the game and what he thought of his team’s performance. As you can imagine, he wasn’t too kind as he called the team outing “soft.”

“We were soft,” Simmons said per NBC Sports. “You’ve gotta knock somebody, knock ‘em over. You’ve gotta hit somebody in the face and knock ‘em down, make sure they don’t score, hit ‘em in the face.”

With the loss, the Sixers are now sixth in the Eastern Conference with a record of 31-20. The Sixers were a team that many felt could compete with the Bucks for first in the league although it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen this season. Perhaps when the playoffs start in April, the team will be able to rally the troops and make a run. 

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Lou Williams Reacts To Report About Kawhi Leonard’s LeBron Diss

Williams isn't too sure about Stephen A. Smith's sources.

Stephen A. Smith is a man who is connected to numerous voices throughout the NBA. Sometimes, Smith comes to First Take with exclusive scoops on some of the happenings around the league. On Wednesday, that's exactly what Stephen A. did as he revealed that Kawhi Leonard reportedly called LeBron James "soft" in the locker room. After defeating the Lakers on Christmas Day, the Clippers star reportedly told his teammates that LeBron should stop being scared to guard him. Considering Kawhi is such a quiet person, Smith's report was immediately met with some skepticism.

One of Kawhi's teammates, Lou Williams, also has some questions about Smith's report. Yesterday, Williams took to Twitter where he subtly accused Smith of coming through with an inaccurate report. Williams went on to say "I just know I’ve never heard him say anything close to that about anybody. He just compete."

If these were any other players than LeBron and Kawhi, not many people would bat an eye. The Lakers and the Clippers are the league's biggest rivalry this season and fans are excited to see how it will all play out come playoff time. If the Clippers and Lakers were to meet in the Western Conference Finals, we would be in for a real treat.

The next time these two play, we're sure LeBron will be playing with fire in his eyes.