Joel Embiid wrote a first person essay at The Players' Tribune explaining his journey from Cameroon to the NBA.

When Embiid was in high school, he taught himself to shoot by watching a YouTube video following the search of 'WHITE PEOPLE SHOOTING 3 POINTERS.'

"I pretended my way to the NBA," wrote Embiid. "I seriously got to the league by watching YouTube and living in the gym. There’s no other way to explain it. Remember when KG won the title with the Celtics, and he was acting all crazy, screaming out, “ANYTHING IS POSSIBLLLLLLLLLLLLLE!!!!!!!!!!!!”

"That speaks to me. That’s my life. It happened so fast that it doesn’t even make sense."

Embiid was greatly influenced by Kobe Bryant and Hakeem Olajuwon.

"Thank you, Kobe. Thank you, Hakeem. Thank you, Mom and Dad. Thank you, Kansas. Thank you, Philly. Thank you, Lil’ Bow Wow. Thank you, Random White People.

It's a move, I swear."