Legend Shaquille O'Neal expresses support for Sixers star Joel Embiid

NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal has not had a lot of great things to say about Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid. The Hall of Fame big man has criticized Embiid in the past for shooting too many jumpers and not dominating in a way that O'Neal deems as "worthy".

>However, with LeBron James now headed to Philadelphia, expectations for Embiid and the Sixers will now rise. Philadelphia has not been past Round 2 of the playoffs since 2001 when Allen Iverson led the franchise to the finals. The Sixers have not won a title since the days of Julius Erving and Moses Malone in 1983. Now, is the time for this team to get it done.

>O'Neal has changed his tune on Embiid as he stated on "The Stephen A. Smith Show" that Embiid will pass Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic in the rankings:

I'm calling it out now. He's gonna be healthy...Joel Embiid is going to dominate this year. You heard it here first. Joel Embiid will be titled the best big man in the league. He’s passing up the Joker this year. He's going to work this year.

>Embiid has not played more than 39 games in any of the past three seasons. He has played 39, 19, and 38 games over the previous three years, respectively, but the big fella did offer up hope when the season ended that he is going to be healthy and ready to go for the future. He even deemed the 2025-26 season as a success in his eyes as he was able to figure out the knee injury. The 2023 MVP winner will now look to move forward into the future and help James lead Philadelphia over the hump.

>This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Legend Shaquille O'Neal expresses support for Sixers star Joel Embiid