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Joel Embiid Tells TMZ It'd Take $1B to Wear LaVar Ball's Big Baller Brand Shoes

Timothy Rapp@@TRappaRTX.com LogoFeatured ColumnistJuly 23, 2017

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 16:  Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers represents his team during the 2017 NBA Draft Lottery at the New York Hilton in New York, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.  Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Michael J. Lebrecht II/NBAE via Getty Images)
Michael J. LeBrecht II/Getty Images

The war of words between Joel Embiid and LaVar Ball continued Sunday.

The Philadelphia 76ers center first told TMZ Sports there was no way he would ever wear the Big Baller Brand shoes before joking it would take a billion dollars for him to don the gear.

It was the latest in a long line of jabs shared between the two men.

At the NBA draft, Embiid tweeted the following: 

Joel Embiid @JoelEmbiid

Please dunk on him so hard that his daddy runs on the court to save him.. https://t.co/cMvt5RYiSQ

Ball responded in an interview with Philadelphia's 97.5 The Fanatic (h/t Andrew Joseph of For the Win):

"When you don't win, and don't even make the playoffs, and don't even stay on the court long enough, that's the best thing you can do—is tweet and make some stuff. Ain't nobody else doing that, because they're working on their games in the gym. These guys ain't played a game, always hurt, and at the bottom of the totem pole. So guess what? Get your asses off the goddamn Tweeter and get in the gym."

That prompted Embiid to use an expletive of his own directed at Ball on Instagram Live, which earned him a $10,000 fine from the NBA. He seemed to take the punishment in stride, however: 

Joel Embiid @JoelEmbiid

That day has finally come ha #TheProcess

"I think most people have been wanting to say that, but I guess I was the guy to say that. I'm glad I said it," Embiid said during a keynote conversation at the Variety Sports and Entertainment Summit, per Rob Tornoe of Philly.com. "Social media is just about having fun."

Ball responded by noting Embiid's vocabulary was limited and it wasn't smart for the Sixers center to cost himself money, per ESPN's Jovan Buha: 

Which brought us to Embiid's latest comments on the Big Baller Brand. Suffice to say, there is no love lost between Embiid and Ball, though both men have also shown a penchant for using social media to build their brands online.

One thing's for sure: a Sixers-Lakers game hasn't had this much hype in a while.