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Joel Embiid is fine being a villain.
“It’s not hostile,” the Philadelphia 76ers big man told reporters when discussing his reception at Madison Square Garden during his team’s 112-106 overtime win over the New York Knicks on Tuesday.
“I love New York. New York is my favorite city in the world. I have a place here for the past five years. I just love New York. If I’ve got to be the punching bag and you hear a lot of ‘F Embiid,’ that’s ok. I love it.”
Embiid has certainly paid attention to the fans throughout this series, including when he took issue with the 76ers supporters allowing so many Knicks fans to infiltrate Wells Fargo Center during Game 4.
“Think it’s unfortunate and I’m not calling them out, but it is disappointing. Obviously you got a lot of Knicks fans a