The upcoming Eastern Conference Semifinals might just bring back a long-forgotten personal feud between Joel Embiid and Karl-Anthony Towns.
The Philadelphia 76ers overturned a 3-1 deficit against the Boston Celtics and advanced to Round 2, where they will face the New York Knicks.
Not long after, fans flooded the timeline with reposts of an infamous 2019 social media beef between Embiid and Towns.
Will the 76ers-Knicks Series Reignite the Joel Embiid and Karl-Anthony Towns Feud?
A few weeks after an emergency appendectomy, Embiid logged 39 minutes in Game 7 to eliminate the Boston Celtics on Saturday night. He finished the series-clinching win with 34 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists.
While a battered Embiid and the Sixers look ahead to an intense matchup against the Knicks, the NBA community dug up old posts capturing the back-and-forth between the 2023 MVP and KAT.
Back in 2017, after the 76ers’ 118-112 overtime win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, Embiid posted an image of himself eurostepping past Towns, who played for the Wolves at the time.
Embiid’s caption on the post was a subtle dig at Towns, earning an equally blunt reply from KAT in the comments. In 2019, the two got into an on-court brawl during a 76ers-Wolves game, with Ben Simmons getting involved as matters escalated.
Both Embiid and Towns were subsequently ejected after the heated moment.
Afterward, Embiid took to X (then Twitter) to throw shade at Towns, writing, “That tough guy act ain’t cutting it… you know what you are… I OWN YOU. @KarlTowns”
While the two may have gotten over their differences, the NBA community speculated on a possible revival of this beef in Round 2, with one user remarking, “I didn’t even know this beef existed. This is real hate. 7 games of this please.”
I didn’t even know this beef existed. This is real hate. 7 games of this please. https://t.co/FIPtnq2I2A
— Dr. Profit🩺 (@DoctorProfit) May 3, 2026
Another user expressed their surprise at discovering this nearly decade-old beef, posting, “When the hell were they tweeting like this lmaoooo.”
“😂😂😂😂😂😭😭 Big zesty vs Crippled Goat. We will be there,” another user wrote.
😂😂😂😂😂😭😭 Big zesty vs Crippled Goat. We will be there https://t.co/gk8JnTnN22
— Tre £Dutty (@BigTeezo) May 3, 2026
“Oh I can’t wait,” another X user commented, unable to contain their excitement.
“Let’s run this back,” Richard Staple wrote.
Let’s run this back https://t.co/cKYLkUCNxR
— Richard Staple, BSN, RN🇯🇲 (@RichStapless) May 3, 2026
Nearly seven years later, both Embiid and KAT are on a playoff collision course with conference finals ambitions on the line.
Embiid is still working to regain his conditioning and will have to find a way to dominate the glass, as the Knicks will try to exploit every opportunity to test his endurance.
New York holds the homecourt advantage, and Mike Brown’s team will definitely try to pile on an exhausted Sixers side. With Embiid trying to control the environment off the floor by urging Sixers fans not to sell their tickets, Game 1 at Madison Square Garden cannot tip off soon enough.
