National Basketball Association

Joel Embiid asks 76ers to address him by new name

Published Nov. 15, 2016 2:58 p.m. ET

Dan Carson

Joel Embiid is the only thing holding Sixers Nation together right now.

With Ben Simmons sidelined with a foot fracture and no timeline for return, 76ers fans have found their last refuge in Joel Embiid, who at long last is playing in real(ish) professional basketball games and moving frighteningly well on both ends of the court.

So, once again, Embiid is The Guy, and as The Guy, he'd like it very much if the team rallied around his new chosen middle name: "The Process."

Per Philly.com's John Smallwood, Embiid has adopted Philadelphia 's foremost rallying cry/sob-mantra, and went as far as approaching Sixers PA announcer Matt Cord about using the name on game nights:

"Earlier this week, Joel Embiid asked longtime Sixers public address announcer Matt Cord to add his new self-claimed middle the 'The Process' to this official introduction. It didn't happen Thursday night when the Sixers played the Washington Wizards at the Wells Fargo Center."

This hasn't kept Embiid from adding his new, officially unofficial name to his Instagram.

But let's get back to Embiid's work against Washington, which seems to have inspired this fresh wave of confidence from the 22-year-old.

Embiid's activity and general gigantic-ness caused nightmares for the Wizards, who fouled the 76ers rookie center seemingly every other trip down the floor in their struggle to keep his 7'0", 250-pound frame from being and doing whatever it wanted in the post. Embiid played 12 mintues in all, and left the game with 76ers fans feeling a twinge of that most dangerous and addictive: hope.

Hope for The Process. Trust the Process. Or in Joel's case, be The Process.

Dan is on Twitter. Trust the Porpoise, Philadelphia.