Joel Embiid finally returned to the court following a seven-game absence on Sunday and helped the Philadelphia 76ers come away with a 108-100 win over the Chicago Bulls at United Center. After the game, Embiid told ESPN that the last couple of months have been extremely tough for him.
“Depressing,” Embiid said. “Just trying to figure it out. There’s no injury. Just between the swelling … we’ve got to get it figured out. That’s it.
“I’ve been saying it for the last few months,” Embiid continued. “It’s been extremely depressing. It’s something that hasn’t been figured out, and it’s been extremely annoying, because I would love to play every single game.”
Embiid missed the first six games of the 2024-25 season due to his knee issues and then was suspended for the next three for shoving a reporter. The 2023 MVP would finally make his season debut on Nov. 12 against the New York Knicks but it wasn’t too long before he had to sit out again.
Embiid played a total of four games before swelling in his left knee (and personal reasons) forced him to sit out again. It was truly a nightmarish start to the campaign for the 30-year-old.
“I think the whole thing is about health … that’s what it comes down to,” Embiid stated. “I wish I could have been playing from the beginning. I would love to play every single game, every single minute, but sometimes your body just says, ‘No,’ and you can’t do nothing about it. All you can do is just keep working to fix it and get better.”
Well, Embiid kept toiling behind the scenes and all that work paid off. The seven-time All-Star had 31 points (13-28 FG), 12 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks against the Bulls. It was a strong showing and thanks to that, the 76ers improved to 7-15 on the season.
Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George all played together for the first time for the 76ers in this contest against the Bulls. Each of the three missed time this season due to injury and the hope would be that they can stay relatively healthy moving forward. I can’t say I am too optimistic when it comes to Embiid and George but time will tell.
The 76ers have a bit of a break now, as they’ll next play against the Indiana Pacers at Wells Fargo Center on Friday at 7 PM ET. Considering the time off between the games, I would expect all three stars to feature against the Pacers as well.
Joel Embiid Is Trying To Find The Snitch In The 76ers Locker Room
Knee issues weren’t the only thing to annoy Embiid this season. The 76ers had a team meeting in November earlier this year where Maxey called out Embiid for always being late. While he reportedly didn’t have an issue with his teammate’s comments, he did have a problem with the fact that details from that meeting got out.
Embiid called the 76ers’ team meeting leaker a “real piece of s***” and I can’t blame him for being upset about that. While there’s no doubt he has to be more professional moving forward, the fact that so many details from that meeting came out was not ideal.
NBA insider Jake Fischer reported that Embiid wants to find the snitch in the 76ers locker room. It should by no means be his top priority, but that individual certainly needs to be removed from the mix.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We really appreciate your support.
