Embiid passes on wisdom

On the eve of the much-anticipated 2018 NBA China Games, Philadelphia 76ers' star center Joel Embiid encouraged aspirational Chinese youngsters to trust the process, just as he did all the way from his native Cameroon to achieving NBA stardom.

As a representative of the growing international force in the NBA, Embiid, who made his first All-Star appearance in the 2017-18 season, knows a thing or two about the challenges faced by overseas players in making their presence felt in the highly competitive league.

With making it to the NBA an ultimate goal for China's young talents, Embiid used his popular catchphrase and urged them to "trust the process" by being resilient when facing challenges on and off the court.

"When I started to play basketball I was already 16 back in 2011. I wouldn't tell you that was easy, that was hard," Embiid said at a charity event in Shanghai organized by beverage brand Master Kong on Wednesday.

"When I first came to the States, people mocked me and made fun of me. I didn't speak the language … I didn't know anybody. I was going all by myself. It was tough.

"But I told myself that I had to go and I wanted to keep pushing. I have to do it for my family and myself. The hard work always pays off."

Embiid's appearance at the event was part of NBA partner Master Kong's charitable program to build two learning centers for underprivileged children in cooperation with the Adream Foundation.

The 76ers will play against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday at Shanghai's Mercedes-Benz Arena, followed by a rematch at Shenzhen's Universiade Center three days later as part of the 2018-19 NBA preseason.

This year's China Games features the most international players since the preseason series' inception in 2004 with 15 players born outside of the United States on the two teams' rosters.

Led by Embiid, the 76ers' six-strong international troop includes Australian Rookie of the Year Ben Simmons and Turkish forward Furkan Korkmaz, while the Mavericks feature nine led by fan favorite Dirk Nowitzki of Germany, Slovenian future star Luka Doncic and local pride Ding Yanyuhang.

Ding, who has signed a preseason contract with Dallas, will miss the Shanghai game though due to a right knee injury that recurred after his Asian Games campaign with Team China.

With ambitious young international talents keen on making their impact in the league, Embiid, who was selected by the 76ers as the third overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, said the only way is to let their game speak.

"It's not how big your dream is, it's more about a goal that I wanted to be the best basketball player ever," said the 24-year-old, who was named on the 2016-17 NBA All-Rookie First Team despite playing only 31 games.

"A lot of people told me I have that potential so I can't wait to keep working in the way I should go."

Embiid was discovered at a basketball camp when he was 15 by his compatriot Luc Mbah a Moute, an NBA player on the Los Angeles Clippers. With Mbah a Moute as his mentor, Embiid moved to the US at the age 16 to devote himself to becoming a professional basketball player.