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Sixers' Joel Embiid flies into stands, jumps over actress Regina King

By Alex Butler
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid leaps into the crowd and over actress Regina King during a win against the New York Knicks on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid leaps into the crowd and over actress Regina King during a win against the New York Knicks on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

Feb. 14 (UPI) -- Joel Embiid saved one of his most athletic plays of the game for a jump into the stands, leaping over actress Regina King at Madison Square Garden.

The "Process" took the leap in the third quarter of the Philadelphia 76ers' 126-111 win against the New York Knicks on Wednesday in New York City. The Sixers led the Knicks 98-83 when Embiid was tracking down a loose ball.

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He eyed the bouncing ball as it neared the sideline, but had to take flight as he swatted the ball back onto the court because he was too close to the chairs on the sideline.

The 7-footer was running directly toward King at the time. Instead of colliding with the actress, he jumped over her, grazing her head, and landing on MSG Networks statistician Dave Fried. Actor Tracy Morgan was sitting next to King, Karrueche and Victor Cruz.

"First of all, I shouldn't have done that," Embiid told MSG Networks. "This is a regular season game and I think at that point we were up by 15 or so. So that's my fault. Maybe next time I shouldn't try to land with my feet first. But I'm so sorry."

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Fried said he has been taken out before during his tenure, which has lasted more than 25 years.

"As soon as he was coming I said 'oh no,'" Fried said. "You knew it was going to happen. There was nothing I could do. It hurt for a second."

"He made sure to miss Regina King, which was pretty good on his part, but I'm OK."

Embiid scored a game-high 26 points and had 14 rebounds in the win. Allonzo Trier led the Knicks with 19 points.

"Yoooo," King tweeted. "Thank you God and Joel Embiid for your athletic abilities. Crisis averted."

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