Joel Embiid Tweets Sixers Fans 'Gotta be Better'

Joel Embiid has stayed off of Twitter more often than not in recent years. After being heavily active on social media throughout his first few seasons in the NBA, the self-proclaimed internet troll has mellowed out for the most part.

But every now and then, the Sixers center takes to Twitter and Instagram to talk about soccer and basketball or simply get some things off his chest. On Wednesday morning, the Sixers' big man logged onto Twitter to do two of those things.

As rumors have been spreading like wildfire over the last couple of months regarding a potential Ben Simmons trade, Embiid has officially had enough. It seems a report that discussed his supposed damaged relationship with Simmons behind the scenes frustrated Embiid to the point where he had to vent.

First, he called out the media for "making stuff up for followers." Then, he pivoted over to discussing Sixers fans, mentioning that they themselves have to be better as well.

I haven’t forgotten but 2 years ago, I got booed, people in Philly wanted me to be traded. I even shushed them. Only the real ones didn’t but I just put the work in that offseason to be better cuz I knew I wasn’t playing up to my potential. Philly fans, y’all also gotta be better
— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) September 1, 2021

Embiid took a trip down memory lane to the 2019-2020 NBA season. As the Sixers were amid a disappointing regular season, Embiid took on tons of criticism for his effort, body language, and struggles at times.

At a point, the beloved All-Star center received some boos during introductions before a home game. As he heard the negative reactions, Embiid went as far as shushing the crowd during the game after draining a basket.

Then, he posted on Instagram afterward to make it clear he was embracing becoming a villain in Philadelphia. Embiid's rift with certain Sixers fans didn't last very long during the 2019-2020 season. And it was erased entirely in 2020-2021 as the big man looked better than ever and had an MVP-caliber season.

Regardless of how Sixers fans treated Embiid this past year, he still believes the fan base needs to be better moving forward, echoing a similar sentiment as 76ers veteran Danny Green, who received tons of backlash earlier in the offseason for suggesting Philly fans need to be better.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.