That was the biggest takeaway from Dotun Akintoye’s phenomenal Joel Embiid feature that ran on ESPN on Wednesday morning. The enigmatic Philadelphia 76ers superstar provided rare access and vulnerability talking about the ups and downs of his NBA career in the type of longform piece that rarely exists in today’s media landscape.

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Even his most painful grief has been thrown in his face. At the start of Embiid's rookie season in 2014, his 13-year-old brother Arthur was hit by a truck and killed. The day Arthur died, Embiid ignored a series of phone calls. When he finally answered, it was terrible news.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid does not regret shoving a columnist back in November, which resulted in a three-game suspension without pay.

The Philadelphia 76ers had a team meeting last season in November in Miami. During the meeting, Tyrese Maxey called Joel Embiid out for being late to team events.

But as Embiid explained in a new profile from ESPN's Dotun Akintoye, those who lean into the "narrative" about him being a playoff dropper are missing context. They seem to think he's the only star player capable of a rough night now and then when an elite defense is specifically game-planning for them:

Joel Embiid has developed a reputation as a troll. But this aspect of the big man has persisted since his college days, as his coach recalled a hilarious story from his time at Kansas.