Jared Dudley Joel Embiid
(AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Brooklyn Nets’ wing Jared Dudley did not hold back his feelings on Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid following a testy playoff series.

The Brooklyn Nets may be out of the playoffs thanks to a dominant performance from the Joel Embiid-led Philadelphia 76ers, but that hasn’t stopped one of their own from talking trash.

In an article about Embiid from ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan, Nets wing Jared Dudley continued to put the Sixers’ star center on blast regarding his personality.

“Because now you have championship aspirations. Everyone is watching. Dwight Howard was similar. He was a big guy, a big personality, but his goofing around eventually turned people [against him]. There will come a point when [Embiid’s] teammates will leave the Sixers. How they talk about him after they are gone, how they view him, that will tell us a lot. But, as long as [Embiid] works his butt off, treats his teammates right, shows them the respect, the sky’s the limit.”

These comments were preceded by Dudley saying Embiid “likes attention” and “likes to troll guys.”

For context, Joel Embiid stirred the pot with Jared Dudley following Philly’s 112-108 win in Game 4 of the series. Things got dicey in the game when Embiid committed a flagrant foul on Nets center Jarrett Allen. The ensuing fracas led to technical fouls and ejections for both Dudley and Sixers forward Jimmy Butler.

Embiid then infamously said, “Dudley is a nobody,” in a postgame interview.

That said, Dudley’s comments are probably nothing more than simple trash talk. The Nets had a great run leading up to the playoffs, and are rightfully disappointed about being eliminated in five games by Embiid’s Sixers.

Be it motivation or talking smack, one thing is certain: The Nets-76ers rivalry is going to be one to watch next season. The budding rivalry could only be amplified if Dudley re-signs with Brooklyn.

Embiid and the Sixers continue their playoff trek on Thursday night. They’re set to battle the Toronto Raptors in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals (8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN). The series is tied at a game apiece.

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Josh Benjamin has been a staff writer at ESNY since 2018. He has had opinions about everything, especially the Yankees and Knicks. He co-hosts the “Bleacher Creatures” podcast and is always looking for new pieces of sports history to uncover, usually with a Yankee Tavern chicken parm sub in hand.