Former NBA Star Caron Butler Says Nothing Wrong Seeing Big Men Cry

Following their ouster in the NBA Eastern Conference semifinals, fans and critics have taken shots at Joel Embiid for crying after the heartbreaking loss. The Cameroonian was a tad late in trying to block Kawhi Leonard's shot that eventually trickled in. It was a different Embiid after that game, an emotional time that some may not really understand.

It was an unfortunate end to Embiid's NBA season, someone who has battled through injuries. He was a vital cog for Brett Brown and company and his health as the main concern. With a critical game 7, Embiid tries his best to push the Sixers to the Eastern Conference finals. Reaching the conference semifinals is however the farthest the team has gotten since "The Process" was introduced, the Big Lead reported.

Regardless of how one looks at it, the fact remains that Embiid has shown that even with occasional misdemeanor (on and off the court), he plays his heart out to win. The Sixers were almost there, but Lady Luck was simply not on their side at the time.

Crying is a great way to let out one's emotions and former NBA player Caron Butler believes that there is nothing wrong with seeing Embiid in tears. In fact, he wishes people would just leave the man alone, TMZ Sports reported.

For the 39-year-old cager who retired last year, Embiid deserves privacy, especially after a tough loss. He feels the NBA should step in to give Embiid or any player privacy during these moments. Seeing that happen however is unlikely with the NBA believing that these are instances that resonate with fans.

"That's the crazy part about the NBA. They say that players need that time to vent so it would be great if guys were able to go to the locker room, kind of depressing, let that emotional time die down and then have an opportunity to go back out there and address the media," said Butler.

Embiid is still young and likely to get more chances. The Sixers are slowly turning into the team most had feared them to be although there are still some chinks that need to be addressed.

Brown will continue to call the shots next season with Philly looking to improve on this NBA season's finish. Some personnel changes could happen, all depending on how Sixers management analyzes their performance in the 2018-19 NBA season.