CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) — Joel Embiid could have been one of the all-time greats of his era. The 7-footer who anchored the 76ers' laborious rebuilding plan known as the Process sure flashed his dominance at times through his injury-riddled career.
He dropped 70 points. Won an MVP and two scoring titles. He was a five-time All-NBA selection.
Yet, the ultimate stamp on Embiid's career — nine years active, two more entirely sidelined, all with Philadelphia — are the laundry list of injuries, the games missed, the countless health updates, that have defined and depreciated his career.
The latest, a left knee injury that never returned to form following surgery last season, will ultimately cost him the stretch run of this one.
The 76ers made the inevitable a reality on Friday when they shut down Embiid for the rest of the season, saying he is “medically unable to play” and will focus on treatment and rehabilitation of his left knee.
It's a sad, familiar refrain for one of the most talented, personable big men of his time.
Counting the 164 games he missed his first two seasons after he was drafted No. 3 overall in 2014 and what's left of this season, Embiid will have played in 452 of 883 76ers' games by the end of this season — missing nearly 50% of the regular season.
“The Philadelphia 76ers and Joel Embiid have been consulting with top specialists regarding ongoing issues with his left knee. After further evaluation, it has been determined that he is medically unable to play and will miss the remainder of the season to focus on treatment and rehabilitation,” the team said in a statement.
“We are working with medical experts to determine the exact treatment plan and will update media when we have more information. The team and specialists will continue working with Joel to ensure the best path forward for his long-term health and performance.”
There are, of course, no guarantees Embiid will ever play again for the 76ers — an option that might not be decided until deep into the offseason.
One of the preseason favorites to contend for an NBA title, the Sixers take a nine-game losing streak into Saturday's game against the Warriors. Even with the heavy slide, the Sixers were just 2 1/2 games out of a spot in the play-in tournament entering Friday's games.
Embiid will miss his third straight game overall and hasn't played since he was benched for ineffectiveness in the fourth quarter of a loss last Saturday to Brooklyn.
The 76ers are 8-11 with Embiid this season; 12-27 without him.
“I don’t have any goals other than we’re playing to win and we’re playing to play better,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said Friday. “I’ve just been trying to concentrate on the team and the doctors have been trying to figure out what’s best for Joel, and then we’ll figure it out from there.”
Embiid has been hobbled by injuries all season, and served a three-game suspension for shoving a member of the media. He’s averaged 23.8 points — he averaged at least 30 and won two scoring titles the last three seasons — and scored only 29 points combined in his last two games.
Embiid acknowledged earlier this month he may have to undergo another surgery on the left knee.
“I think the straightforward answer is that when you’ve got something that’s inconsistent, at some point, you’ve got to do something about it,” Embiid said. “We don’t know what it is. We’re looking into every option.”
He played just 39 games last season due to a torn meniscus in his left knee. The 76ers announced in early February of that season that he had undergone surgery. Embiid came back in early April, was part of the 76ers' playoff run, and then won a gold medal with the U.S. Olympic team last year at the Paris Games.
Embiid has played only 58 regular-season games and seven play-in tournament/playoff games since he earned NBA MVP honors in the 2022-23 season.
“The way I was playing a year ago is not the way I’m playing right now,” Embiid said last week after the 76ers lost to Boston. “I probably need to fix the problem, and then I’ll be back at that level. But it’s hard to have trust when you’re not yourself.”
The 76ers’ first-round pick is top-six protected or else it goes to the Oklahoma City Thunder, one reason there was speculation the Sixers might shut down Embiid and cut their losses on the season.
The poster child for load management, Embiid has injured nearly every part of his body since even before he entered the NBA. He suffered a stress fracture in his right foot before he was drafted out of Kansas that cost him two years. From there, it was a bone bruise here, a meniscus tear there. A busted orbital bone. A sprained shoulder. Tendinitis. Torn ligaments. Even Bell's palsy.
Embiid broke down several times throughout the last two years and conceded he was depressed - and eventually needed therapy — to deal with the effects of his brittle body.
“It’s kind of hard when you get in those moments where it’s kind of hard not to feel bad about yourself, especially when you know who you are and what you can accomplish but it’s not the way it is,” Embiid said in December. “One lesson that I learned is to try and stop feeling bad about myself and just live day-by-day. Enjoy good people around me, positivity and not focus on the negativity.”
Embiid — who signed a $193 million contract extension ahead of the season and has banked nearly $266 million in career earnings — has leaned on his wife and young son to push him through the hard days.
He'll need them a bit more now as he repeats a familiar part of his career.
Sit out. Sit on the bench. And watch.
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