Embiid praises Gasol for consoling him after Game 7 loss

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid was brought to tears shortly after Toronto Raptors superstar Kawhi Leonard's buzzer-beating jumper ended his team's playoff run on Sunday night.

Prior to Embiid's emotional walk to the 76ers' locker room, Raptors center Marc Gasol stopped to console his All-Star counterpart.

"Marc has a lot of class," Embiid told reporters after the 76ers' 92-90 Game 7 loss. "Obviously I have a lot of respect for him. ... He was just talking to me and making sure to let me know that I'll be right there at this moment and further in my career. I have a lot of respect for him and he's a great guy."

Embiid fought through multiple illnesses throughout the series, and the 76ers competed hard until the final horn, making the loss even more difficult.

"Losing the game that way. Last shot. After a hard-fought game, I feel like we had a chance," Embiid said, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "A lot of things go through your mind. And it sucks. I don't know. I can't explain it. It just sucks."

In addition to Gasol's kind-spirited interaction with Embiid, Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert took to Twitter to defend the 25-year-old for crying after the loss.

"Only losers think that crying is a sign of weakness," Gobert tweeted. "Only shows how much of a competitor and winner you are."

Gobert famously couldn't contain his emotions when he wasn't included in the 2019 All-Star Game, forcing him to walk away from a media scrum in February.

The 76ers now enter the offseason with plenty of questions surrounding their roster, as Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris, and JJ Redick are set to become free agents.