Leadership Quote by Joel Embiid

Embiid is pushing back on the oldest shortcut in basketball discourse: the idea that size is destiny. When he says people “just think I’m a big man,” he’s naming a box fans, coaches, and even marketing love to build - the center as a blunt instrument whose job is to rebound, block shots, and stay out of the way while the “real” creators work. His insistence on being “a basketball player” is a claim for full citizenship in the modern game, where skill isn’t supposed to have a height limit.

The line works because it’s both defensive and aspirational. Defensive, because Embiid has spent his career toggling between dominance and skepticism: if he scores, it’s because he’s huge; if he dribbles, it’s framed as a risky novelty. Aspirational, because he’s describing the contemporary superstar template - versatility as status. “Playmaking and scoring” signals he wants credit for initiating offense, not just finishing it. “Passing the ball” is almost pointedly basic, like he’s tired of praise that treats a center’s assist as a magic trick.

Then he adds “leader” and “post presence,” stitching old-school authority to new-school range. That’s the subtext: he’s not abandoning the center tradition; he’s upgrading it. In an era obsessed with positionless basketball, Embiid is arguing that the most radical thing a seven-footer can be isn’t a unicorn - it’s simply taken seriously as complete.