Joel Embiid is no stranger to being the heel. In fact, he embraces that role every chance he gets. From his Instagram posts where he routinely calls out opposing players following dominant performances against them, to hyping up the crowd after getting into a scuffle on the court, Embiid likes playing the villain. Philadelphia 76ers fans tend to love it, but lately they've begun to turn on their star center.

During the fourth quarter of the Sixers' eventual win over the Chicago Bulls on Sunday, boos began to ring loud inside Wells Fargo Center as Philadelphia struggled to put Chicago away. It wasn't aimed at any player in particular, but Embiid used it as motivation as he proceeded to dominate the rest of the quarter while literally -- and figuratively -- shushing the crowd in the process. After the game, Embiid said that he didn't care how the gesture looked and that he's just getting back to being "a good ---hole." Fast forward to the Sixers' next game against the Clippers on Tuesday night and Embiid was met by more boos from the home crowd while being introduced in the starting lineup:

As each player is introduced in the video above, you can hear the stark difference between the cheers for the rest of the starting lineup and the boos that came when Embiid was announced. Philly fans are known for being harsh, but there's a reason behind their sudden sourness on their star center.

On a recent episode of "The Hoop Collective" podcast, Brian Windhorst suggested that other teams in the league might be preparing for the possibility of Embiid being traded. Do with that what you will, but Embiid appeared to respond to that rumor with an Instagram post of him shushing the crowd with the quote, "you either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain." Former teammate Jimmy Butler then chimed in, writing, "I know a place where villains are welcome," seemingly recruiting Embiid to join him in Miami, to which Embiid responded, "Damn right my brother." 

That exchange is enough to send any fanbase in a tizzy, and Philly fans reacted accordingly when Embiid was announced in the starting lineup. However, Embiid thrives on hatred and after fighting for an offensive rebound to get an and-1 opportunity, he flashed a smile to the crowd and began to pump them up.

He finished the game with 26 points, with 10 coming in a decisive third quarter where he knocked down a pair of triples, the first of which gave the Sixers the lead early in the quarter. After the game, Embiid got back on Instagram to send another message, this time to show that he's committed to Philadelphia, calling it "my city."

View this post on Instagram

BROTHERLY LOVE #MyCity

A post shared by Joel "The Process" Embiid (@joelembiid) on

Embiid told reporters after the game that he was expecting to hear some boos from the crowd, but he doesn't take it personally or hold any ill-will toward the fans.

"Tonight I could have shushed them again, but it was all about having fun again, getting back to myself," Embiid said. "Like I said after last game, I'm back to doing whatever I want and saying whatever I want. That's how I used to be, and I was dominating that way. This year I made a decision to change, and I guess it hasn't worked out, so it comes with the good and bad. If it helps us win, and if it helps me help the team in a better way to win games, then I'm going to be that guy."

Being "that guy," includes going back to his troll days on Instagram, and trash-talking on the court, which sometimes leads to some run-ins with opponents. It happened earlier this year with Karl-Anthony Towns, and it happened in last night's game with Marcus Morris. In the fourth quarter, Embiid and Morris got tangled up, and as Morris tries to slap Embiid's hand off of him, the Sixers big man gives him a little nudge in the chest to which Morris retaliated by shoving him. 

Words were exchanged, a double technical was assessed but it didn't escalate past that. It usually never does when Embiid is involved. He'll get into scuffles with players, but it rarely escalates into an all-out fight, aside from the one with Towns. The trash-talking and shoving is all part of Embiid's game, and a way for him to get into his opponents' heads. It usually works, resulting in altercations like the one with Morris. 

"We are both physical guys," Morris told reporters after the game. "It was cool, man. He was just, like, wrapping arms and stuff like that. I ain't going to say nothing because they like to fine me, so I am going to keep my mouth shut. It is what it is."

At the end of the day, Embiid showed just how dominant of a two-way center he's capable of being and the Sixers got another huge win over one of the top teams in the league. Philadelphia remains difficult to beat at home, and the team is heading into the break on a three-game win streak but it will need its All-Star center to be in full form, even if that means doing what he wants.