Joel Embiid's Celtics quote: Revisiting 76ers star's 'They always kick our a—' comments about one-sided rivalry

What did Joel Embiid say about 76ers-Celtics rivalry?

Embiid went viral after the team's opening game against Boston in the 2018 season. After a 105-87 loss on the road, the Sixers' star center kept it brutally honest with reporters. According to Embiid, "This is not a rivalry... they always kick our a--." Here is a clip of the Cameroonian speaking with reporters after the loss.

After Philadelphia's 106-93 Game 6 win on Thursday, Embiid expressed his satisfaction at the chance to finally down Boston in the playoffs. In his career, the center is 0-3 in series against the Celtics, and is sitting at one game away from getting a tally in the win column.

"I've been playing these guys for so long. I'm tired of losing to them," said Embiid. We have a chance to accomplish something special."

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Joel Embiid Celtics meme

After Embiid first muttered his line about the rivalry being one-sided in the playoffs, NBA fans have referenced it frequently. Here are a few instances where the quote was revitalized.

After Boston took Game 1 of this series by a whopping 32-point margin, Embiid's quote came back to bite him. It originally appeared that this year's series would be more of the same.

One user related the quote to the Dallas Cowboys trading Micah Parsons away to their conference rival, the Green Bay Packers. The last time Dallas was victorious over Green Bay came in 2016, which was quarterback Dak Prescott's first game against the team.

Another use of the meme also came on the NFL front. In 2024, a fan related the Tampa Bay Buccaneers "rivalry" to the Philadelphia Eagles in the words Embiid once spoke.

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