The Philadelphia 76ers were eliminated from the 2026 NBA Playoffs after a 144-114 Game 4 loss to the New York Knicks, getting swept 4-0 in the second round.
The Knicks were a class apart from the 76ers this entire series, as Philadelphia overachieved by making it to the second round after completing a 3-1 series comeback against the No. 2 seed Boston Celtics in the first round. Even though their postseason run has ended with yet another second-round exit, this was a positive season for the 76ers overall.
Franchise center Joel Embiid’s search for a Conference Finals appearance continues after he dropped 24 points without missing a single attempt (8-8 FG, 2-2 3P) in Game 4. He addressed the question of how this loss impacts his legacy during his post-game press conference, sharing a lengthy answer about what his legacy should mean.
“I don’t know, I don’t care. I got this beautiful young man. You guys have taken away my chance to put my daughter to sleep; my wife is going to be extremely mad at me. That’s all I care about. I got my family, I got my kids. Hopefully, I get more. I got my parents, I couldn’t care less about what people think about me when it comes to basketball.”
“I’ve done a lot of stuff off the court, so hopefully, that’s what’s remembered, here in Philadelphia, all over the US, in Africa. That’s my goal. My focus is always to keep improving and helping people. To answer your question, that’s what I want my legacy to be. Basketball is just a platform.”
“Whether I win or lose, I’ll be sad if I don’t win, but I don’t think that’s going to define me. I wouldn’t want anyone to think that basketball is all I have, because there’s so much more in life than just basketball. You can ask all these guys; I care about winning more than anybody. It sucks to lose.”
But to go home, raise this guy, my daughter, look at my wife in her eyes, and know I’m a good man, no matter what people say. We go on the road, they’re chanting. I hate that he hears that, but he has to understand that that’s the way the world is, and you’ve just got to live and understand that there’s going to be negativity, there’s going to be positivity. You’ve got to go through it, and it’s okay.”
Embiid averaged 24.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists in the 2026 NBA Playoffs. The former MVP was struggling with injuries the entire run, but tried his best to contribute on the court. While many believe that Embiid’s physical prime is long behind him now, the 76ers will have the pieces next season to potentially mount another title challenge.
Tyrese Maxey is a proven star in the NBA, while Paul George was a consistent third option in the Playoffs. With the potential development of rookie V.J. Edgecombe over the offseason, the 76ers could come back next season and have a genuine shot at competing.
