It wasn’t long ago that Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley went in hard on Joel Embiid, wondering if we were seeing the best of the Sixers’ superstar this year.

That was a hot topic for one week in December, with Joel then going out a few days later and dropping 38 points in a nationally televised road win against Boston.

Prior to that win, at shootaround, he said this about the Shaq and Charles criticism:

“Maybe they’re right. I do think they’re right. I think I need to be more aggressive, just look to impose myself, just look to dominate. I think the whole season I haven’t done that. And then you can see the way it’s affected my efficiency and my stats. So I guess I need to go back to having fun and just dominating, but I get what they’re saying. I think they’re right and I’ve got to make a change.”

And then after the game he had an exchange with Charles, saying this, in part:

Barkley: “You’ve got a chance to be the best player in the world.”

Embiid: “I appreciate you. I really listened to what you said, and Shaq, and I’m gonna keep working. I’m definitely gonna use that try to get better every single night and bring it every single night. Thank you.”

All good, right? You’d think.

Fast forward to last night, another TNT game, and we got this, which Twitter gobbled up in typically grotesque fashion:

Honestly?

I wouldn’t read too much into this! Just looks like a little sardonic response. A bit of justified snark from the big guy after dropping a season-high 39 points while shooting 18-19 from the foul line.

It’s Embiid having fun again, being a “good asshole” and reverting to the cheeky and flippant guy he literally referenced in that first quote I shared. He does say “Sir Charles,” in a sarcastic way, but whatever; that’s the point. That’s the Embiid of 2017, 2018, and 2019.

This will go down in Sixers lore as a nothing burger. It will be a hamburguesa de nada.