Joel Embiid, Rihanna Update: 76ers All-Star Says Courting Singer Is A 'Process'

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid fueled rumors during All-Star weekend about his relationship aspirations with pop singer Rihanna.

Embiid, who had apparently tried to court the Grammy-awarding winning artist before, appeared to hint that he hasn’t given up.

Sports Illustrated sent former NBA players Nate Robinson and Carlos Boozer to interview the 23-year-old during Sunday’s All-Star game.

"We follow each other on Twitter," Embiid said of Rihanna. "I just gotta slide in her DM’s, but you know, I'm taking my time. It’s a process."

Many speculated that the two had been in contact since 2014 when Embiid tweeted that he was "moving on from kk to Rihanna." In a subsequent tweet, the Cameroon native seemingly asked Rihanna on a dinner date.

Embiid followed up with another message claiming that a "famous girl" had denied him, which led many to assume he had given up chasing the "Disturbia" singer

"This is the truth... I was trying to get with this famous girl and she said 'Come back when you're a All Star' bruhh," Embiid wrote.

During a post-game interview last month, TNT's Kristen Ledlow reopened the discussion when she questioned Embiid about his supposed failed wooing attempts.

"She denied me back then -- so why go with her again. I'm going to have to pass that and move on to the next one. Trust the process," Embiid responded.

Meanwhile, Embiid, a first-time All-Star, garnered attention for his performance on both sides of the court during Sunday’s game. He finished with 19 points, eight rebounds and two blocks in 20 minutes for Team Stephen.

"Before the game, during the whole season, I kind of thought I was a top-five, top-10 player in the league. Coming in here before the game, I wanted confirmation of it," Embiid said after the game. "I felt like I can hang with them. I had a lot of fun."