Joel Embiid reveals player who made him nearly quit basketball: "He dunked on me so hard that I was looking at plane tickets home"

Joel Embiid has become one of the top superstars in the NBA. But one practice in college made Embiid revisit his thoughts about a future in basketball.

Embiid was a top big man prospect in college basketball during his time at Kansas. Despite dealing with injuries, Embiid went on to average 11.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game in 23.1 minutes. This resulted in him becoming the third overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft.

In a recent article in "The Players Tribune," Embiid talked about his time while wearing a Jayhawks uniform. As Embiid tells it, he was dunked on viciously by teammate Tarik Black. Embiid said that it was a moment that almost made him almost quit basketball.

“My very first scrimmage at Kansas, I got dunked on so hard by Tarik Black that I almost quit. Tarik dunked on me so hard that I was looking at plane tickets home.”

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Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid looks to continue impressive 2022-23 campaign

Philadelphia 76ers superstar big man Joel Embiid

Throughout the 2022-23 season, Joel Embiid has been an unstoppable force for the Philadelphia 76ers. He will now look to help the 76ers in their pursuit of making it to the NBA Finals.

Statistically, Embiid is having one of the best seasons of his impressive career. He has averaged 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.5 blocks per game. Embiid continues to be a dominant force with the ability to takeover a game on both sides of the floor. He's been putting up jaw-dropping box scores on a nightly basis throughout the year.

The next challenge for Joel Embiid will be getting the 76ers to advance in the NBA playoffs. The 76ers find themselves in third place in the Eastern Conference standings as they prepare to take the floor after the NBA's All-Star break.

Philadelphia is 2.5 games behind the Milwaukee Bucks for second place in the East. With Giannis Antetokounmpo expected to miss some time with a wrist injury, the 76ers could look to make a push for one of the top two seeds in the East.