Embiid says tweets from Colangelo's wife were hurtful, motivating

Philadelphia 76ers star big man Joel Embiid says the tweets from Bryan Colangelo's wife were hurtful at first, but now the center is using them as motivation for this upcoming season.

Colangelo's wife used multiple burner Twitter accounts to criticize players and reveal sensitive team information. Embiid was among the players she criticized.

"It was hurtful because of the stuff that was said in those tweets," Embiid said on ESPN. "But at the end of the day, I know who I am as a person, as a player. And I know a lot of people, they’re always telling me I’m great but I have a lot of stuff to work on. And actually, I appreciated everything that was said about me because if it was true – even if it wasn’t – that stays in my mind.

"And it makes me want to get better. The stuff where they were saying I wasn’t happy, that makes me want to work harder on my body. Or if they’re saying that I couldn’t do anything, it makes me want to work harder and get better. So, actually, I love it. I appreciated it. It was great. It was great for my game."

Embiid was finally healthy in 2017-18. The 24-year-old played in 63 games and didn’t disappoint, averaging 22.9 points and 11.0 rebounds while shooting 48.3 percent from the field and 30.8 percent from three.

The 7-footer made the All-Star team, helped the Sixers clinch the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference and advance to the second-round of the playoffs, and was also in the running for Defensive Player of the Year.

This is the first summer Embiid is not coming off surgery and can work on his game. As a result, Embiid has high expectations for next season.

“I want to win the MVP,” Embiid said. “I feel like at the end of the day it might be an individual award, but when I play better, the team also does. I feel like if I’m an MVP candidate or if I win the MVP, that means we are on another level.”