76ers Legend Charles Barkley Makes Surprising Joel Embiid Statement

Charles Barkley comments on Joel Embiid's run with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Nov 22, 2019; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) and head coach Brett Brown talk during a break in the third quarter of a game against the San Antonio Spurs at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Since entering the NBA, Joel Embiid has been one of the most dominant players at his position, once he overcame two seasons of recovering from setbacks. There is no doubt that from 2016 up until now, Joel Embiid has been the best player for the Philadelphia 76ers.

When Embiid’s career is all said and done, he’ll be one of the most recognizable Sixers in franchise history. Depending on where he goes from here, Embiid could make a real case to compete for the organization’s best in history.

The legendary Charles Barkley is confident Embiid could’ve been there already had he started his career with a different head coach.

“I really think this… If Joel really would’ve had a real coach from the beginning, I think his career would be totally different,” Barkley said on 97.5 The Fanatic this week.

“I think he would’ve been the greatest player… I do believe this, I think if he had a real coach from the beginning like a Billy Cunningham, I think he would’ve been the greatest player in Sixers history. I’m not saying no disrespect to [Julius Erving], or Wilt Chamberlain, or myself. I think if he had a real coach from the beginning, who held him accountable, I think he would’ve been the greatest player in Sixer history.”

Charles Barkley believes that if Joel Embiid had started his career with a real coach, he could have become the greatest player in 76ers Franchise History.#Sixers #NBA #BrotheryLove pic.twitter.com/RZyJrxJyyB

— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) June 13, 2025

When Embiid debuted in 2016, he played for Brett Brown, who was in the midst of his first head coaching job. Coming from the San Antonio Spurs, where he coached under Gregg Popovich, Brown was hired to steer the ship through the choppy waters known as “The Process.”

While many assumed that Brown would be out the door as soon as the Sixers started to turn into a contender, the organization kept him around through the 2020 NBA Playoffs. Embiid played four seasons for Brown. The big man established himself as an All-Star by year two and made the playoffs in three out of four seasons playing for Brown.

Since Brown parted ways with the Sixers in 2020, he took some time off before returning to the Spurs’ bench as an assistant. Embiid continued to grow into one of the most notable players in the league, winning MVP in 2023, and making the All-Star team for seven-straight seasons.

On a personal level, Embiid will likely have a strong Hall of Fame case when he hangs it up. He’ll end up being acknowledged as one of the most notable players in Sixers history. But as long as the Sixers’ trophy case doesn’t add any hardware with the big man in the building, he’ll struggle to earn any nod over Erving in the greatest Sixer debate.