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Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid Quotes 50 Cent Heading Into Orlando Bubble

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid makes light of a tough situation as heads to Orlando, Florida, for the NBA's restart.
Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid Quotes 50 Cent Heading Into Orlando Bubble
Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid Quotes 50 Cent Heading Into Orlando Bubble

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid sure knows how to make light of a tough situation. As the Sixers' big man boarded his one-way flight to Orlando, Florida, on Thursday afternoon, team photographers snapped pictures of the All-Star walking onto the runway. Soon after, Embiid decided to use the photos for an Instagram post.

As the seven-foot center posted shots of himself in a hazmat suit, mask, and gloves while approaching the team's plane, he decided to quote multi-platinum selling rapper, 50 Cent, in his caption. 

"Get rich or die trying!!! Orlando here we come," Embiid wrote. For those who are unaware (you never know), Get Rich or Die Tryin' is 50 Cent's breakout album, which came out in 2003. While 50 Cent's way of getting rich didn't exactly include heading into a billion-dollar bubble to play in the NBA, Embiid made his point.

Earlier in the week, the Sixers' seven-footer expressed concerns with the NBA's return to action. As the COVID-19 pandemic is still in effect, Embiid believes bringing basketball back this summer and fall will be a significant risk, despite the safety measures put in place.

Although Embiid is on board to travel with his team to Florida to conclude the season by helping the Sixers win a championship, the big man admitted he was hesitant to do so. "I'm not a big fan of the idea," Embiid told the media on Tuesday. 

"Then again, I'm going to do my job. I'm not going to let the city down. I'm going to represent my city -- that's what I've always done -- my family, my teammates. The mindset doesn't change."

While many players believe the NBA has done a nice job of planning out the return, Embiid's biggest worry had more to do with others failing to respect the safety guidelines, as opposed to the actual guidelines itself. 

"Some guys like to go out and some guys like to do stuff, some guys that like adventure," Embiid explained. "I know I’m not going to put everybody else at risk, but the question is, is everybody else going to do the same?"

Again, Embiid has his doubts but it didn't stop him from boarding the team's flight to Florida. He knows the risk he's taking to play and Embiid is willing to risk his health to try and bring the Larry O'Brien Trophy back to Philly. 

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

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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