Joel Embiid asked Philadelphia 76ers public address announcer Matt Cord to introduce him as "Joel 'The Process' Embiid,'" according to the Philadelphia Daily News' John Smallwood. This would match Embiid's name on his Instagram account, and it would make a certain portion of Sixers fans deliriously happy.
For the uninitiated: "Trust the Process" has become a rallying cry for Philadelphia fans who believe in former general Sam Hinkie's plan to patiently rebuild through the draft. Former Sixers guard Tony Wroten uttered the words in an interview, and Sixers podcast "The Rights to Ricky Sanchez" popularized it by applying it to Hinkie's approach more generally. While Hinkie and the front office have parted ways, Embiid has continued to earn points with his supporters -- in July, he posted a photo of himself and Hinkie to Instagram with the caption, "THE GOAT #HeDiedForOurSins #TrustTheProcess."
(Yes, "Hinkie died for our sins" has also become a slogan of sorts for that same segment of Philly fans.)
Cord did not introduce Embiid as "The Process" when the 7-foot-2 center played his preseason first game in Philadelphia against the Washington Wizards on Thursday. Considering that new Sixers president Bryan Colangelo has talked about accelerating the rebuild and erasing the team's culture of losing, it would be a little weird for the team to outwardly celebrate anything to do with the phrase.
All of this, of course, makes Embiid's full-on embrace of "The Process" all the more appreciated.
Embiid, by the way, has shown flashes of brilliance in his first two preseason games. Against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, he moved well, protected the paint and effortlessly drained a jumper with a foot on the 3-point line. Against the Wizards, he rejected Kelly Oubre at the basket and bullied his way to a bucket in the post against Marcin Gortat. It's extremely early, but it looks like he was worth the wait.
