Raptors head coach Nick Nurse has made it clear he is not happy with the way the Sixers-Raptors’ first two games have been managed. He won’t stop whining about it. He was very vocal after Game 1 when he felt things weren’t even and that the umpires missed obvious decisions against the Sixers.
So at the end of Game 2, after the Sixers dominated Toronto again and also fired a lot more foul shots than the Raptors, Joel Embiid decided to stand next to the Raps’ bench and chat with Nurse for a second about it – what else? – foul calls.
Cameras caught the pair talking seemingly slightly heatedly, so reporters asked both Nurse and Embiid what they were talking about after the game.
Nurse gave a rather sterile answer:
Nick Nurse on his late swap with Joel Embiid:
“(Embiid) said, ‘I’ll keep taking all my free throws if you keep fouling me,’ and I said, ‘Well, you might have to.'”
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) April 19, 2022
Love that he basically admits that the Raptors’ plan to stop Embiid is to soil him. It’s the only way! We’re sorry!
But Embiid’s answer was way more entertaining because he’s Joel Embiid and entertainment is what he does.
Here is what Embiid said to Nurse:
“I mean he’s obviously a great coach with what he’s been able to achieve. I’ve always been a huge fan. But I told him – respectfully, I told him to stop bitching about calls because I saw what he said last game. “
GOSH JOEL OF THE TOP ROPE.
Bringing in the “respectful” is what separates the greats from everyone else. That’s just perfect delivery, all the way through. This is elite trash talk.
Build Nurse up, rightfully give him props for being a great trainer, then tell him to shut up – respectfully, of course.
Joel Embiid is a unique talent, both on the pitch and at press conferences. what a beast