76ers News: Shaq Relays 'Disrespectful' Message to Joel Embiid

Over the past few seasons, Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid has solidified himself as one of the NBA's top stars. Despite how impressive his numbers might be, one Hall of Fame center delivered a stern message to the reigning MVP.

During a recent episode of his podcast, Shaquille O'Neal saw his numbers compared side-by-side to Embiid's this season. After making a case for himself, he touched on a conversation he had with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar back in the day.

It broke his heart to hear the LA Lakers legend call him out, but now he's doing the same for Embiid. Shaq wants to see the Sixers center deliver on the big stage the same way Kareem wanted him over 20 years ago.

"I'm a give it to him like Kareem gave it to me. He should take it as disrespectful," O'Neal said. "That's my message to Mr. Embiid. We know what you can do but can you do it at the big dance?"

While Embiid has made the rise to superstardom, the Sixers have stalled in the postseason. Dating back to 2018, they've failed to make it past the Eastern Conference semifinals. Injuries have played a role in Embiid's struggles in the postseason, but he's still had some outings to forget.

Throughout his career, Embiid has played in 53 postseason games. His playoff averages currently sit at 24.0 PPG, 10.9 RPG, and 2.8 APG.

Now that he's secured MVP, critics want to see more from the Sixers franchise cornerstone. Shaq is one of the many who are calling out Embiid to lead his team on a deep playoff run.

As his game continues to grow, Embiid looks more poised to perform under the bright lights of the postseason. With the Sixers' current roster construction, he has everything he needs to end the team's playoff woes. Tyrese Maxey has emerged as an All-Star-caliber player, and Daryl Morey has surrounded him with multiple complementing pieces.

Embiid has always stated bringing home a championship to Philly is his main goal. That said, he'll surely be looking to silence his doubters when the time comes.