"Mario Chalmers called Bron a b*tch, and didn't flinch" - NBA fans argue former champ's take on Joel Embiid getting called out 

Amid Joel Embiid's Philadelphia 76ers' league-worst 2-12 start, ESPN's Richard Jefferson questioned the superstar center's leadership. The 2016 NBA champion noted that Embiid is too dependent on his younger teammates, dividing NBA fans on social media.

On Monday, Philly lost 106-89 on the road to the Miami Heat, marking its fourth consecutive defeat. Afterward, ESPN's Shams Charania reported the squad had a "heart-to-heart" team meeting, in which Sixers star guard Tyrese Maxey called out Embiid for his "tardiness."

Two days later, Philly suffered a 117-111 road loss to a shorthanded Memphis Grizzlies team, extending its losing streak to five games.

On Thursday's edition of ESPN's "NBA Countdown," Jefferson touched on the Sixers' reported team meeting and continued struggles. He highlighted how the 24-year-old Maxey shouldn't be tasked with keeping the 30-year-old Embiid in check.

"I've been in enough organizations where it becomes very, very sad, where the children are asked to adult the parents," Jefferson said (Timestamp: 0:20). "That's the problem. When I see a young player ... when he's saying, 'Hey, the reason why I wanted to be here is because of you.'"

Jefferson added that all the all-time greats he played with never encountered such problems.

"I never saw that with Tim Duncan, I never saw that with Dirk Nowitzki, I never saw that with Jason Kidd, I never saw that with LeBron James. We can keep going down the list," Jefferson said. "I have never seen a player as great as this, as Joel Embiid, have to be called out by some of the youngest players in his camp, on his roster."

Many fans on X/Twitter concurred, asserting that Embiid has long lacked accountability.

"Cos Embiid has been coddled all his career," @TheRealGrindNY said.

"Embiid ain't a leader," @snippin_hammer wrote.

However, others pushed back, pointing to examples of current and former superstars like LeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal getting called out by younger teammates.

"This is light. Mario Chalmers called Bron a b*tch, and didn't flinch," @ChefTrillie said.

"Chalmers did this to LeBron on the (Miami) Heat, and he didn't back down from it. This is so soft," @NPavob wrote.

"Does Shaq not exist?" @HauserBrett said.

"Kobe (Bryant) to Shaq," @hovik77 wrote.

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Joel Embiid downplays Philly's team meeting; expresses frustration with Sixers' internal discussions being leaked

On Wednesday, Joel Embiid weighed in on Philly's team meeting. The 2023 MVP took exception to the person who anonymously "leaked" his squad's internal discussions.

"Whoever leaked that is a real piece of s**t," Embiid said.

Embiid added that the media blew the meeting "out of proportion" before seemingly begrudgingly accepting the blame for the Sixers' shortcomings.

"We talked about a lot of things," Embiid said. "I don't want to get into detail. But that whole thing, that part of it, took probably 40 seconds. But it's Joel Embiid, so things will always get blown out of proportion. It's whatever, though. I'll take it. I'm the reason for everything, so I guess I'll take the blame for everything."

Philly (2-12) next hosts the Brooklyn Nets (6-9) on Friday. Given the extensive media coverage surrounding the Sixers' early season woes, Embiid should be motivated to end his squad's five-game losing skid.

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