Embiid expects narrative to change: 'People love you at the beginning'

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is a fan favorite ... for now.

Embiid is still relatively new, so every move he makes and every tweet he sends still elicits a sense of wonder, but the Cameroonian superstar doesn't think he'll be the darling of the league forever.

"People love you at the beginning. But at some point they're gonna start hating you," Embiid told Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.

"LeBron (James). Russell Westbrook. All the superstars. Even Steph (Curry). He's so likable. He does nothing wrong, but some people still hate him. It just comes with the nature of it. I've seen it. I feel like I'm about to go through it. I think it's coming. People always want something new."

Fans turned on James for his decision to televise his free-agency decision in 2010. In Westbrook's case, people wanted to expose the stat chasing that helped him capture MVP. And Curry seems to be hated largely because he's the mouthguard-chomping face of a franchise that's become invincible.

It's not hard to imagine how the perception of Embiid could change. Not only is he a prolific trash-talker and a master troll, but he has a frustrating propensity to coax fouls from his defenders. Embiid is shooting eight free throws per game, which puts him in a three-way tie with Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins for tops in the league among big men.