"I'm going to piss some people off" - Joel Embiid kept his nickname "The Process" to trigger the NBA
"Trust The Process" became a rallying cry for Philadelphia 76ers fans during Sam Hinkie's tenure as general manager. His controversial strategy involved dismantling the roster, trading away key players, and deliberately underperforming for nearly a decade to secure higher draft picks. While this approach drew widespread criticism, it ultimately helped the franchise land Joel Embiid (2014) and Ben Simmons (2016).
Unbeknownst to many, Joel developed a profound appreciation for Hinkie's vision. This admiration manifested in Embiid's decision to keep the nickname "The Process" to honor Sam's legacy and indirectly trigger the NBA, who he believed showed the 46-year-old the exit door.
Keeping the nickname "The Process" for Hinkie
In 2016, Sam resigned as the Sixers' GM. However, the common belief was that the NBA forced him out as punishment for his tanking strategy. Joel wasn't happy about this and kept receipt of the incident.
Speaking on The Draymond Green Show, the seven-foot center emphasized that the league played a significant role in Sam's departure and criticized them for not fully comprehending his long-term plan.
"He was basically forced out.... by the NBA," Embiid said. "I always say I don't know who, but I think that's what it was. And then that pissed me off because I felt like, yeah, sure, there was a lot of losing, which I wasn't part of because that was before I started playing. But I knew that eventually, once I started playing, it was going to change, which it did."
The seven-time All-Star adopted the nickname "The Process" not just because it was the biggest rallying cry during Hinkie's time as GM but also to remind the NBA that Sam's legacy was still alive through him and his moniker.
"I knew that they didn't like 'The Process,' all the losing stuff. Then, I was like, 'You know what? I'm going to piss some people off,'" Embiid added. "Even around the team, there was a bunch of people that didn't like that word."
Hinkie believed in Embiid
For the Sixers, drafting Joel evoked mixed feelings. He was undoubtedly very talented, averaging 11.2 points on 62.6% shooting from the field in his freshman year at Kansas, but he was also injury-prone. Still, Hinkie drafted him with the third overall pick and showed patience when Embiid missed his first two seasons due to a foot injury.
Sam's faith left a lasting impression on Joel, who, despite being instructed by the NBA to stop his antics, felt compelled to support the person who drafted him.
"I used to get calls about, 'Can you please tell Joel not to mention 'The Process' name? We're trying to move on from it,' I was like, 'Watch this!'" Embiid concluded.
The way for Joel to honor Sam's unwavering faith in him now is to lead the 76ers to their first title in over four decades. It's time to complete "The Process."
