Kern: Sixers' Joel Embiid's charisma could turn him into the face of the NBA

Who doesn't like Joel Embiid? But I don't just like him because of what he's shown and what he might become. I mean, he's already the face of the franchise, and I don't think even Ben Simmons at some point turning into the next Anfernee Hardaway will be able to change that. Although that would obviously be a great problem to have. Heck, a healthy Embiid could one day be the face of the Eastern Conference, or maybe even the whole darned league. You never know. But it's worth dreaming about. Hey, LeBron must have a shelf life. Maybe even all of those guys on the Warriors, too.

Still, the reason I'm an Embiid guy is because of who he is and how he's approaching all of this. He understands his place on the Philly sports landscape and beyond. And he embraces it, in a way not every big-time athlete can. He's not making it mostly about him, even if that's the reality. In short, Embiid seems to get it. And that's a good look. Aside from the obvious basketball gifts, that's what makes him such a gravitational force.

You know who else got it? Shaq. He always knew when to smile and when to scowl. And most important, when to poke fun at himself. He was having a good time, while he was beating you up. And he remained a kid in a giant's body, which is why he's still doing commercials for body lotions that make you laugh. He's got the personality, and the smile. Which means a bunch of folks who couldn't relate to some other big men couldn't get enough of O'Neal. It's all part of his charm, and belies his dominating court presence. Kazaam.

Embiid has what it takes to become a similar Pied Piper character. It, of course, would help if he could win a title or two. Yet it's more than that. It's everything that goes beyond the stat sheets. Like dancing with the cheerleaders. Or raising his hands to his ears to egg the fans on, a la Allen Iverson. It's the way he goes about his business, and talks about playoffs when nobody else wants to, or about minute restrictions when it's not particularly kosher. Or trolls on Twitter. If you know me, you know I can't believe I just alluded to that. Anyway, it suggests he wants it as badly as we do. Perhaps more. And he's got the goods to make it happen. Imagine what kind of Madison Avenue combination that could translate into.

We loved Doc because he was, well, Doc, and he flew through the air with the greatest of ease and eventually got us the one or two or three he owed us. And we loved Moses because he was the final piece and gave us "Fo, Fo, Fo," but he wasn't exactly huggable. Charles was, even though he could never give us a long enough playoff run, which in large part was because he was mostly trying to do it by himself. He continues to be one of our town's faves, even from afar. Allen was, well, Allen, which meant it could sometimes go either way. But it was never dull. And he could sure fill up an arena, home or away, no minor detail.

The cameras never fib. Neither do the sound bites. That's the thing about charisma. You don't necessarily need it to be an all-timer. See Tim Duncan. But it can be a defining perk of the attraction. Ask The Admiral.

When it comes to all that, Embiid might not have a ceiling. Especially if the process actually ends up working out as projected. I wonder if the Sixers really knew what they were getting when they took him, in terms of being such a total package. So, maybe 20 years from now, Embiid will be playfully doing national TV ads, too. Maybe even with Shaq.