Recently, 76ers star Embiid was interviewed by ESPN. He said it was heartbreaking that he could not compete for the championship. During the playoffs, he did not want to watch the game until his friend Halliburton made the finals. Embiid sent a text message to congratulate him. With the encouragement of the latter, he watched the promotion battle of the Eastern Conference Pacers.

"I was completely uninterested in the playoffs. He moved me. He kept trying to convince me to watch the game," said Embiid.

He also said that he had not watched the first six games of the finals until the tiebreak, but after Halliburton's Achilles torn tendon with 5 minutes left in the first quarter, Embiid turned off the TV. He said, "It's so ridiculous, I almost burst into tears."