Embiid kicks it up a notch for Sixers

Wilt Chamberlain, Moses Malone, Joel Embiid.

Yes, if you’re talking greatest centers in Philadelphia 76ers history, one must include the seventh year big man out of Kansas in the same breath with the two Pro Basketball Hall of Famers. And if the 28-year-old Cameroonian can continue his stellar play into his 30s, he’ll likely be joining them in those hallowed halls in Springfield.

His career stats of 26.2 points, 11.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game are certainly comparable to Malone’s (20.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, 1.3 blocks) although Chamberlain’s (30.1 points, 22.9 rebounds) were otherworldly and amassed at a time when he was literally head-and-shoulders above the competition as one of the league’s few seven-footers. These days, seven-footers are common and even playing point guard.

Embiid also earned a comparison with the great Wilt the Stilt last month. Within a two game span, he scored 42 points in a Saturday, Nov. 12, game against the Hawks followed by a 59-point performance against the Jazz on Sunday. If you’re scoring at home, that’s 101 points in less than 24 hours. Though it’s not in the class of Chamberlain’s 100-point single-game output in 1962, it certainly evoked memories of that record-setting performance, one that still stands today.

With the Sixers in the thick of the playoff hunt in the East, they’ll be counting on the stalwart play of Embiid to lead them to an NBA Finals berth. He can be seen in action Friday, Dec. 16, when the Sixers host the Golden State Warriors in the opening game of an ESPN doubleheader.