Charles Barkley: ‘Joel Embiid Has Got to Get His Fat Butt in Shape’

Joel Embiid “has got to get his fat butt in shape,” according to Hall of Famer and TV talking head Charles Barkley.

Barkley says the Philadelphia Sixers will only get as far as Embiid and NBA All-Star teammate Ben Simmons are able to carry them.

Sir Charles adds that Simmons needs to work on his jumper after inking a five-year, $170 million max contract extension.

Per FTW (via ESPN):

“It’s going to come down to Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. At some point, them two young players, who are both terrific young players. I want to repeat that. Two terrific young players.

“But Joel Embiid has got to get his fat butt in shape, and Ben Simmons has got to work on his game.

“When I got to Philadelphia in 1984, the most important person in my life, basketball-wise, said to me ‘you fat and you lazy.’ And I said ‘what do you mean?’

“Moses Malone said ‘you fat and you lazy.’ He made me lose 50 pounds, and the rest is history. I wonder, in Philadelphia, who has the courage and the chutzpa to tell Joel Embiid ‘yo man, you’ve got to get in shape.’ I wonder if they have that person on the team, or the person who has to tell Ben Simmons ‘yo man, we just gave you $170 million dollars. Please go work on your jump shot.’”

Related James Ennis III: Sixers ‘Going to Walk to the Finals’