Philadelphia sports fans are typically regarded as some of the most passionate fans in the United States. But on Sunday, Philadelphia 76ers fans were outdone by fans of the New York Knicks. And 76ers star Joel Embiid was none too happy about it.
The Knicks were able to come away with a big victory in Game 4 of their opening-round series against the 76ers, a game that was played in Philadelphia, thanks to an unbelievable 47-point performance from Jalen Brunson.
The win was a significant one for the Knicks, particularly because it could be the final game they have to play in Philadelphia. The series will now be heading back to New York for Game 5 on Tuesday, a game where the Knicks would close out the series.
If this was the final game of this series in Philadelphia, 76ers fans didn’t exactly show up like some would have expected.
After Game 4 concluded, Knicks fans completely took over the Wells Fargo Center, with hundreds if not thousands of Knicks fans starting a “f*** Embiid” chant that ended up going viral on social media.
Wells Fargo Center is MSG south right now @TommyBeer pic.twitter.com/FSykMrzh91
— Jesse Golomb (@jessegolomb_) April 28, 2024
Embiid took notice of this energy from the Knicks fanbase during the game, speaking to the media about their showout in his post-game press conference.
He didn’t mince words about how he felt, saying that it “pissed him off” and that he was disappointed by the passion from the 76ers fans in attendance.
“Lot of Knicks fans,” said Embiid via the New York Post. “Never seen it. Been here 10 years. Kind of pisses me off. Philadelphia is supposed to be a sports town…”
That’s certainly one heck of a quote from Embiid. And to be fair to him, it certainly seems like the passion from the Knicks fans compared to the 76ers fans in this game could have played a role in the end result in Game 4.
Now, the 76ers will be heading to Madison Square Garden for Game 5 of the series on Tuesday. And you can surely count on Knicks fans showing out in full force to potentially see their team advance to the second round of the playoffs with a win.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.