NBA superstar Joel Embiid reveals he’d ‘rather be a soccer player than a basketball player’ as he claims he was a ‘bully’ on the field like former Manchester City icon Yaya Toure

Despite his dominance on the basketball court, reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid admitted he dreamed of becoming a football player.

The Philadelphia 76ers star said Men in blazers of his love for the beautiful game compared to basketball.

“I’d rather be a football player than a basketball player,” Embiid said. ‘That’s how I like it. To me, football is like nothing in the world that comes close to a bigger sport, nothing that even comes close to it. I like the concept of the team. In basketball if you have two good players you can win, but in football the team has to be together.”

Embiid revealed how his size allowed him to be a “bully” on the court, but also became a hindrance. Standing at six feet tall, he admitted how his towering frame prevented him from becoming a goalscorer.

“I always wanted to be a striker, but I was just way too big,” he added. ‘I was in the middle because I felt like I wanted to be in control, make the passes and just control the whole game.

Embiid compared his playing style and ability to bully others to Ivorian legend Yaya Toure

With two scoring titles and an NBA MVP, Embiid is currently the face of the Philadelphia 76ers

“I was obviously bigger than everyone else, I was more physical and people were actually scared of me because I would just make a move and act like I was going to kick you in the foot and everyone would be scared. I was a bit of the bully, but like a Yaya Touré, physical presence, big, tall. But yeah, I enjoyed it. I wish I had more talent to be professional, but apparently that wasn’t the case.’

“If Joel was a few feet shorter, yeah,” Embiid added. ‘At a height of two metres, I don’t think so. Even as a goalkeeper I don’t think I would be good at two yards. But hey, an alternate universe where Joel is better than Messi, Ronaldo? Yeah right. I would have been.’

While his football dreams may not be fulfilled at this point, Embiid has nothing short of star status as a basketball player.

After being drafted in 2014, Embiid went on to become a seven-time All-Star and one of the NBA’s best as a franchise player from Philadelphia. Embiid also won the scoring title twice and made eight All-NBA selections before being crowned the league’s MVP in 2023.

Embiid broke the 76ers’ record with a 70-point performance against the San Antonio Spurs

On January 22, the Cameroonian big man added another milestone to his career by breaking the 76ers’ scoring record. His 70-point performance against the San Antonio Spurs made Embiid the ninth player to break that scoring barrier and tied him for the 12th highest scoring performance in NBA history.

Still, he remains adamant about his love for football and revels in what could have happened if he chased the field across the hardwood.

“I watch football because I love it and I grew up watching it and I grew up loving it, but I think I also love football because it’s a dream that I was never able to achieve. I want to feel what it’s like. I want to be part of it.’