Joel Embiid, one of Mountain Dew’s athletes, was at St. Nick’s Park in Harlem on Tuesday to celebrate the soon-to-be rookie Marvin Bagley III and the fact that Bagley is joining the Dew team, along with Embiid and Russell Westbrook.

I watched Embiid take some super serious photos with a Mountain Dew can. I watched him shoot a few layups while children ran around him in circles. I don’t necessarily think he was ignoring them. I think they were generally out of his line of sight.

It was also quite hot outside. We were standing on a brand new basketball court. It was beautiful, fully renovated. But it’s not the best thing to be standing on when it’s blazing hot. Yet Embiid still managed to take photos with every single person who wanted one. And there were ... a lot.

I got a few minutes to talk to Embiid amidst flying basketballs and loud music, but we got down to some extremely important Mountain Dew questions

First things first, have you ever made a Shirley Temple with Mountain Dew?

[His eyes light up]

I’ve never tried but thats a good idea. I might. Yeah I’m gonna do that.

So that could be your signature Mountain Dew drink.

Yeah definitely, it needs to be something that has to do with Shirley Temple.

What foods go well with Mountain Dew?

Probably like a pasta bolognese. Yeah that would be nice.

Note: I feel like this is the most random answer ever. Who eats pasta bolognese with Mtn Dew? I would say like ... Taco Bell. But I am not Joel Embiid.

Have you ever drank Mountain Dew during a game?

I’ve never done it. But I would do it.

What do you think would happen?

It might make me better. I think I’ll do it when I’m having a bad game and if it works then I’m gonna do it all the time.

If you could talk trash to other soda brands what would you say?

I do talk a lot of trash. But about soda brands? I’d say ‘Mountain Dew is the best.’

Note: This is where I started to see it in Embiid’s eyes: his heart and soul may be more dedicated to the drink than his trash talking.

OK, say that the best soda was available as a free agent, arguably the GOAT of sodas, and you wanted to bring him to Mountain Dew. What would your pitch be?

[Laughing] Trust the process.

So Mountain Dew does trust the process. That’s good to know. Do you think Sam Hinkie drinks Mountain Dew?

I don’t think so. But if he was the GM, I’d make him drink Mtn Dew.

Okay, so lets compare some NBA players to Mountain Dew flavors. Who would be your main mountain dew flavor?

[Laughing again] I don’t wanna be an asshole today. I don’t feel like talking shit or being an asshole.

Note: So it’s true. He’s picking dew over trash talk at this point, and I’m stunned.

That’s fair. I don’t want you to be an asshole either. Okay last one. What came first. The mountain or the dew?

The mountain for sure.

I honestly never thought a day would come. Maybe it was the sun beating down on us. Maybe he was hangry. Maybe the citrus soft drink just has his heart that much.

But what I saw was an open, funny Joel Embiid that was nice to others. He didn’t even dunk on one of those kids out there.

Please believe I’ll be watching closely next season to see if he cracks open a can of Mountain Dew on the sideline.