Joel Embiid got busy cyberbullying Lonzo Ball after destroying the Lakers

DJ Dunson

Joel Embiid has no chill. He can be devastating to an opposing player’s self-esteem. Not only will he attack them at all levels, with finesse on the perimeter, barbed-wire defense around the rim, bulldozing on the boards, and pushing them around in the post. But when he’s done, he’ll rub their faces in the dirt by satirizing them in postgame interviews, on Twitter and/or Instagram.

The Philadelphia 76ers star is the NBA’s biggest cyberbully. His bold and comprehensive tactics are the next evolution in trash-talking. When Embiid jaws at an opposing player, we’re all privy to the verbal slinging. No one is spared. He’s placed Hassan Whiteside in his crosshairs. He’s mocked Kevin Durant’s clandestine Twitter adventures and declared war on Draymond Green.

Joel Embiid knocked Lonzo Ball around on and off the court. (Screencap via @JoelEmbiid)
Joel Embiid knocked Lonzo Ball around on and off the court. (Screencap via @JoelEmbiid)

Two nights ago, Embiid was trolling Willie Reed during his resplendent performance against the Los Angeles Clippers, and pretended not to know his name afterward.

Whose mans is this? #WhatsHisName

A post shared by Joel "The Process" Embiid (@joelembiid) on Nov 14, 2017 at 7:00pm PST

After posting a historic 46-15-7-7 line in Philadelphia’s win over the Los Angeles Lakers, Embiid set his sights on L.A.’s purple and golden boy, Lonzo Ball. Embiid and Lonzo had two very different nights. In 21 minutes, Ball talliled two points on 1-of-9 shooting, collected five rebounds, dished two assists and watched the final quarter from the pine. Embiid noticed.

Shortly after sharing an image that sure looked designed to highlight the different directions he and Ball are traveling at the moment, Embiid followed up to insist that there was no malice behind his message:

When you check out the version of the post on Instagram, though, you see that Embiid used one of his favorite tactics to add a little bit of extra spice to this social-media missive:

Send me your location, Joel Embiid. (Screencap via JoelEmbiid on Instagram)
Send me your location, Joel Embiid. (Screencap via JoelEmbiid on Instagram)

Joel sent this post from “Lavar,” huh? Must be a coincidence.

(Also: “no shots.”)

Talk about beating a man while he’s already down. Once again, Lonzo is caught in the middle of sniping between his pops and an opponent, and this time, it’s getting in his head.

LaVar and Embiid’s war of words began during the offseason and ramped back up in the lead-up to Wednesday’s contest. Embiid was fined $10,000 by the NBA for being captured on Instagram Live saying, “F*** LaVar Ball,” in response to LaVar’s attack on Embiid on a Philadelphia radio station.

Earlier this week, Embiid told ESPN’s Ramona Shelbourne that despite his voluble criticisms of Lonzo and LaVar, this is all in kayfabe for him:

“I love Lonzo,” Embiid told ESPN. “The whole situation with them, I think it’s just fun. I love what he’s doing, especially with his own shoe. He’s staking his own place. People think I hate him, but I love him.”

Even so, Lonzo is currently spiraling, and Embiid’s jokes aren’t helping.

We already know Lonzo is struggling on mid-range pull-ups, above the break 3s and on short-corner 3s. But he’s also shooting a paltry 28.6 percent in the paint outside the restricted area and missing easy lay-ins. Lonzo is much more introverted than Embiid, but it would behoove him to adopt some of Embiid’s overconfidence and learn to block out the negativity that continues to surround his early-season performance.