Joel Embiid on Arsenal, Real Madrid, and World Cup 2026: Switch the Play 10/23/25

Men In Blazers

Men In Blazers | Wondery

Fantasy Sports, Sports, Football, Soccer, Mib

4.6 • 5.2K Ratings

🗓️ 23 October 2025

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In the third episode of Switch the Play, Cleveland Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. and Roger Bennett are joined by Philadelphia Sixers center Joel Embiid to discuss growing up playing football before basketball in Cameroon, his love for striker Samuel Eto’o, which Premier League player he compares himself to, his two favorite teams Real Madrid and Arsenal squaring off in the Champions League, and why Martin Odegaard's his favorite current Gunner. Plus, Larry and Roger discuss Leeds United striker worries, running into Brighton head coach Fabian Hürzeler at Cavs practice and which NBA arena is toughest to play in.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey Prime members, you can listen to Men in Blazers ad free on Amazon Music. Download the app today.
0:08.6	You're listening to the Meninblazers Media Network, Suboptimal Radio.
0:14.2	Call on up obviously, everybody wants to be a striker because it's fun to score goals. Once I figured out, I was getting a little too tall.
0:21.8	I like beating the midfielder.
0:23.7	Guys like, yeah, yeah, too way, big body,
0:26.3	controlling the game, making the right passes,
0:28.8	getting back on defense,
0:30.0	kind of like an all-of-wire player.
0:39.0	Today we got Joel Embed.
0:40.2	I'm Larry Nance.
0:44.7	And I'm Roger Bennett and Joelle Embed, the Samuiletto of the NBA.
0:48.2	Switch the Play is presented by our great friends over at Ali Pop. My guest today is a seven-time All-Star MVP, two-time NBA scoring champion and gold medal winner on the
0:56.2	24 US Olympic team. His journey to the NBA from Cameroon would make an inspiring movie script.
1:04.4	But on top of it all, he's also a lifelong, madly passionate football fan, a man who has
1:09.7	enough room in his heart for both Real Madrid
1:11.6	and Arsenal Football Club.
1:13.7	Indeed, as a kid he believed,
1:15.4	he could have Ronaldo-level skills for real,
1:17.8	but at seven-foot tall and £280,
1:20.9	he's become a gent who makes even Newcastle's beampole striker,
1:24.5	Nicholas Volta Marder, look a little bit like Spud Webb.
1:27.9	It's a joy to welcome back. Mr. Joel Embed. What's up, Waj? How you doing? Thank you. Thank you for having me. It's a joy to be with you, man. You're speaking to us from Villanova. 12th NBA season lies ahead. How are you feeling? I'm good. I'm good. everything's been
	...

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