Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid has seen his career be riddled by numerous injuries — which seems to have gotten worse in recent years. Now, it seems that his latest injury could be more concerning than previously thought.
Embiid appeared in just 19 games this past season due to issues stemming from a torn meniscus in the 2023-24 season. The 2022-2023 NBA MVP has suffered multiple knee injuries throughout his career, causing significant concern for the 76ers.
Clutch Points’ Brett Siegel notes that the 76ers might be more worried about Embiid’s knees than previously thought.
“As for Embiid, there is genuine concern about his knee health,” Siegel said. “Of course word from Philly gets downplayed, but around the league, word is bad.”
That’s not exactly what 76ers fans were hoping to hear after a 24-58 season, one of their worst in the “Trust the Process” era.
At 31-years-old, these knee issues could become very damaging to the back end of Embiid’s career. In those 19 games last season, Embiid averaged just 23.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, his lowest points per game total since the 2017-18 season, his second full season in the NBA.
The 76ers are hopeful that Embiid’s injuries can quell themselves at least for the near future. The team has a competitive roster on paper with Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey among others. Philadelphia could be a threatening team in the Eastern Conference next season, but Embiid’s health is what hangs in the balance for next season and beyond.
