Philadelphia 76ers fans received devastating news on Sunday evening as it was announced that their star player, Joel Embiid, will undergo knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. The team released a statement confirming the pending procedure and stated that an update will be provided following the surgery. Unfortunately, this means that Embiid is expected to miss an extended period of time, dealing a significant blow to both the 76ers and the NBA as a whole.
Embiid’s absence from the court is particularly disappointing considering his outstanding performance this season. Alongside Nikola Jokić, he had emerged as a frontrunner for the NBA MVP award for the second consecutive year. However, new NBA rules implemented this season require candidates for major individual awards to play a minimum of 65 games. With Embiid already missing 14 games, he can only afford to miss three more before becoming ineligible for the award.
The big question now is whether Embiid will play again this season. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, “the door isn’t closed” on a potential return, but a clear timeline will only be determined after the surgery. Fans and teammates alike will anxiously await updates on his recovery and hope for a swift return to the court.
Prior to his injury, Embiid was having a career-best season, leading the NBA with an impressive 35.3 points per game. He was also contributing 11.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting 53.3% from the field and 36.6% from beyond the arc. These remarkable statistics had earned him a spot as a starter in the upcoming All-Star game scheduled for February 18th. However, with his expected absence from the event, NBA commissioner Adam Silver will now have to select a replacement.
Embiid’s knee issues began with soreness, which caused him to miss games against the Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers last week. He made a return to the court on Tuesday against the Golden State Warriors but unfortunately suffered a collision with Golden State forward Jonathan Kuminga, aggravating his knee injury and forcing him to leave the game. The 76ers later confirmed that he had sustained a meniscus injury. Since then, Embiid has been sidelined for games against the Utah Jazz and Brooklyn Nets.
It was revealed by The Athletic on Saturday that Embiid had been dealing with knee soreness for a significant portion of the season. This suggests that his injury may have been lingering for some time, potentially impacting his performance on the court.
The 76ers, currently holding a 30-18 record, find themselves in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, trailing the first-place Boston Celtics by 6.5 games. Embiid’s absence will undoubtedly pose challenges for the team as they strive to maintain their position and make a deep playoff run.
As fans and teammates rally behind Joel Embiid during this difficult time, they can only hope for a successful surgery and a speedy recovery. The NBA will certainly miss his dominant presence on the court, but his health and well-being should always be the top priority.
