Joel Embiid and Sam Hinkie continue to communicate occasionally even though the former general manager was fired by the Philadelphia 76ers nearly two years ago.

"Yeah, we text sometimes," said Embiid. "We talk to each other sometimes. I mean, that’s the guy that drafted me, and he made sure he put everything in place so I could get healthy. And I got healthy and I got back on the court. And I feel like he basically kind of lost his job because of me, because I missed two years. So I feel like I owe him a lot. Yeah, we talk. We talk sometimes."

Embiid has embraced the moniker of "The Process" that has come to be associated with Hinkie's tenure with the 76ers.

Embiid is expected to be an All-Star this season if he remains healthy.