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76ers Star Joel Embiid Mourns Death of Pop Culture Icon

Originally posted on FanNation All 76ers
By Kevin McCormick | Last updated 3/9/24

Early in his career, Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid was known for his social media. He would regularly troll opponents after big performances, or just post things to stir the pot. In recent years, he's calmed down with his internet presence. That said, he recently hopped online to pay respect to a tragic death in the pop culture community.

Earlier this week, it was announced that Akira Toriyama passed away at the age of 68. He was a manga artist who was most known for creating the hit series Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z. The series was first created in the late 1980s, and is still a favorite among anime fans to this day.

Following the news of his death, many people flocked to social media to pay respect to Toriyama. Among those was Embiid, who posted RIP with a couple crying face emojis. With the post was also a gif of Goku, the main character of Dragon Ball.

Man RIP Akira Toriyama pic.twitter.com/XRqiOZZqlZ
— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) March 9, 2024

When Embiid isn't being active on social media, he is continuing to rehab the knee injury he suffered against the Golden State Warriors. It remains unclear when he'll be back on the court, but the reigning MVP remains hopefully to play again this season.

Before getting injured, Embiid looked well on his way to winning another MVP trophy. In the 34 games he appeared in, the Sixers star averaged 35.3 PPG, 11.3 RPG, and 5.7 APG.

Without the services of their best player, the Sixers are doing everything they can to try and stay afloat. They've dipped slightly in the standings, falling to seventh place with a 35-28 record.

This article first appeared on FanNation All 76ers and was syndicated with permission.

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