Joel Embiid calls out whoever leaked his private meeting with Tyrese Maxey: 'A real piece of s***'

Joel Embiid, the face of the Philadelphia 76ers, is no stranger to scrutiny. His work ethic, or lack thereof, has been questioned throughout his career in the NBA. Specific criticisms from Tyrese Maxey expressed privately and then leaked to the press, certainly frustrate the Cameroonian-American to no end.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, who was likely contacted by an internal source in the 76ers organization, reported that Tyrese Maxey "challenged Embiid to be on time to team activities, calling out the 2022-23 league MVP about being late 'for everything' and how it impacts the locker room." While this was meant to be constructive criticism given behind closed doors right after their loss to the Miami Heat on Monday, the fact that it was made public infuriated the 76ers veteran.

"Whoever leaked that is a real piece of s***," Embiid told reporters. "But even then, we talked about a lot of things. I don't want to get into the details."

Joel Embiid's lazy reputation has haunted him for years

"The Process" likely made those angry comments because he was asked about the private meeting right after his team lost to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, 117-111. The 76ers have the worst record in the NBA at 2-12, despite having a solid squad on paper. Tyrese Maxey, a fellow All-Star in Philly, certainly realizes their potential and is pushing the team's leader to act like one. It is often the case that the behavior of a team's premier player influences the chemistry and determination of the entire squad, for better or worse.