Nic Batum's wife Lily E. Batum deems Knicks fan page "soft" for Joel Embiid "bitch a**" take

The opening-round series between the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers is heating up and Joel Embiid is at the center of it all. As the Sixers' biggest star and primary option, he is often at the receiving end of vitriol, heckling and trash-talking from New York fans both in the arena and on social media.

This is exactly what a French fan page dedicated to the Knicks did when they responded to a post from ESPN New York, asking for three words to describe the Sixers star. The fan page had three profane words, forming a phrase, to describe Embiid, which are "b***h a** n****."

As a response, Lily E. Batum, the wife of Sixers veteran Nicolas Batum, called out the Knicks fan page in French:

"C'est fin et délicat," Lily Batum said.

When directly translated, this reads as "it's fine and delicate," but it is safe to say that she is simply deeming this take "soft."

Aside from being on the receiving end of hate from Knicks fans, Embiid is also heavily disliked by the French for his decision to play for Team USA in the upcoming Paris Olympics, and this particular incident might play into this take as well.

Basketball fans in France were hopeful that Embiid would play for their national team in the upcoming Summer Olympics, as he was reportedly even granted French citizenship to do so. Instead, he joined a stacked Team USA roster.

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Joel Embiid has reportedly been banned from the Empire State Building

The hate that Joel Embiid receives from New York Knicks fans has reached a new level as he has now been banned from one of NY's most iconic landmarks. The Empire State Building made the ban public by posting it on its official page on X (formerly Twitter):

This comes presumably after Embiid grabbed Mitchell Robinson's leg during Game 3 of their first-round series. Embiid was assessed with a flagrant one foul but Knicks fans are still unhappy. Many feel like this was a blatant disregard for another player's safety and should have resulted in an ejection.

Instead, Embiid remained in the game and was crucial in helping the Philadelphia 76ers win their first game of the series. He dropped 50 points on 13-for-19 shooting from the field and 5-for-7 from beyond the arc. He also grabbed eight rebounds and dished four assists, all of which contributed to the Sixers' 125-114 victory.

Game 4 between the Knicks and the Sixers will be held on Apr. 28 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. The venue ensures that Joel Embiid will remain safe from a chorus of boos and other such jeering from Knicks fans, at least for Game 4.