Joel Embiid made it clear that there is no Celtics dynasty.
And, in his mind, there won’t be one.
Embiid was a guest on “NBA Countdown” on ESPN during Game 4 of the NBA Finals in Dallas, and when the 76ers star was asked about the Celtics and whether the team — who led the series 3-0 against the Mavericks going into Friday night — has a dynasty going.
He was having none of it.
“You gotta understand the whole East was kind of hurt this year — myself included,” Embiid said after explaining that the collective bargaining agreement might also hurt Boston.
The question, on its face, was fair, as the Celtics have reached the Eastern Conference finals three seasons in a row, and they’ve made the NBA Finals this year and in 2022.
But for the 2023 NBA MVP, he viewed the Celtics’ run to the Finals this year as a fairytale.
Embiid, as he alluded to on ESPN, battled injuries this year, playing in a mere 39 regular-season games.
He had surgery for a torn meniscus in February that kept him out for about two months.
And despite returning for a first-round playoff series against the Knicks, Emiid was not entirely himself.
During the series loss, it was revealed that he had also been treated for a mild case of Bell’s palsy.
“They [the Celtics] know I am right there,” Embiid said regarding his lack of availability this year.
Aside from Embiid not being at his best come the playoffs, the Celtics faced a Heat team in the first round without their go-to guy Jimmy Butler, who was also out with an injury.
In 2023, Butler showed he could wreak havoc on the floor, as during those playoffs, he sent the Celtics home while being named the Eastern Conference Finals MVP.
In the second round of the playoffs, the Celtics played a Cavaliers team without Donovan Mitchell for two games.
The Pacers also missed their star, Tyrese Haliburton, for two games in the Eastern Conference Finals as the Celtics cruised in the series.
When asked if he was ready to come at the Celtics — and the Eastern Conference — next year, Embiid had a short answer.
“There’s a pretty good chance,” he said.
