Former Kansas Star Joel Embiid Opens up About Time With Jayhawks

Former Kansas one-and-done Joel Embiid revealed that he considered staying at the university for another year in 2014.

Feb 22, 2014; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas Jayhawks center Joel Embiid (21) celebrates after scoring in the first half against the Texas Longhorns at Allen Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Despite being one of the most accomplished centers in modern NBA history, former Kansas Jayhawk and current Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid has endured many hardships since arriving to the league.

In a moving article by ESPN’s Dotun Akintoye, powerful details emerged about Embiid's personal journey, including his time at KU.

When he first got to Lawrence, he thought he would redshirt and spend five years at the university. Obviously, that was not the case as he was a one-and-done player in college.

Having only played basketball since he was 16, Embiid did not initially understand why scouts were so enamored with his physical tools.

"I actually decided to stay [in college]," Embiid said. "In my head, I was like, 'I don't deserve this. I only averaged 11 points.' I didn't know much about basketball. I didn't understand how the whole system worked."

Eventually, Embiid listened to the guidance of his father and former NBA player Luc Mbah a Moute and departed from the program.

Though Embiid was typically quiet, head coach Bill Self recalled a story in the article about him telling KU students as a freshman that he once killed a lion in the jungle back in Cameroon.

"People actually believed him," Self recalled. "There was a lot of things that he would do in fun, but I never knew him to be much of a talker as far as expressing true feelings."

That is why Self was so surprised when Embiid began to express himself more vividly on social media while he tried to create a new persona.

"I didn't know that he had the ability, or wanted to have the ability, to have all eyes on him," Self said. "In my mind, I'm thinking, 'Jo, what are you doing? Would you just keep your mouth shut? Stay off of social media.'"

A native of Cameroon, Embiid continues to fight a never-ending battle of loneliness and grief. The article touched on topics such as his injury history, the tragic death of his 13-year-old brother, and so much more.

If you haven't already, read Akintoye's column in its entirety here. It's a real tearjerker and dives deep into the trials and tribulations Embiid has gone through.

I wrote about Joel. https://t.co/Rm7IQvH8Bi

— Dotun Akintoye (@YNGNKL) July 16, 2025