The Sixers were beating the Wizards so badly last night that Joel Embiid decided to take a seat in the second row, just off the end of the team bench.

Problem is, a young kid was already sitting there. So Embiid did what anybody would do, and let the kid sit on his lap instead:

Joel asked the child what he wanted for Christmas, to which the kid reportedly said, “I’d like an NBA title and for PennDOT to hurry the fuck up with the I-95 construction project.”

I was not able to confirm that report, but Embiid later spoke about his interaction after the game:

“I just asked him what his name was and how old he was and if he wanted to play basketball when he’s older. He said yes.”

Joel was asked a follow-up, something about Philly fans in general:

“They show me a lot of love, and I feel like I’ve showed them a lot of love, too. A lot of times I need them to get going. Sometimes the game is kind of easy and I just relax, but I always need someone in the background to push me to play harder and keep dominating. That’s what they do to me. We have a special relationship. I would love to be here for the rest of my career, and these are the type of fans I want to play for.”

I think Philadelphia would love to have him here for the rest of his career. Trust the reciprocity.