Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid lashed out at his critics in his first public comments in a month. This comes as he, and teammate Paul George, will be missing their fifth-straight game on Saturday.
Embiid has been sidelined due to what the team calls “left knee injury management.” The former MVP underwent surgery to repair a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee last season. He was limited to 39 regular-season games but returned for the playoffs, where the 76ers were eliminated in the first round by the New York Knicks.
The star center has faced criticism for not playing despite winning gold with Team USA in the Paris Olympics over the summer.
"He wants to be 100% game ready with that left knee. … He is almost there." 👀 @ShamsCharania on the swelling Joel Embiid faced with his left knee during training camp. pic.twitter.com/l4Gr7XX4BM
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) November 1, 2024
While Embiid maintains he hasn’t had any setbacks, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Friday that the multi-time All-Star experienced minor swelling in his left knee during training camp.
“I had surgery in February or whenever that was, and I did come back early to fight for the team and to play, try to give us a chance,” Embiid said, via NBC Sports Philly. “Unfortunately, we lost (to the Knicks in the playoffs). And then I had time to recover. I’ve really still been managing since the last surgery.
“Just managing and trying to figure out the best approach, but I feel pretty good. I’ve started doing some live stuff and it feels pretty good, so I should be back pretty soon.”
When asked about his Olympic participation, Embiid defended the decision, stating it didn’t interfere with his recovery.
“I think I was fine,” Embiid said. “When you’ve got a chance to compete for a gold medal for the U.S. and representing your country, you can’t pass that up. I don’t care what anybody says. That’s just something you can’t pass up. It felt good to win. It felt good to be part of the experience.
He elaborated on his controlled Olympic workload: “I knew going in I wasn’t needed to do what I do with my team — carry the load. Honestly, I did nothing. … I had my little moment (against Serbia). We all did. … I was happy just getting rebounds and setting screens and rolling, and getting guys open and playing defense.
“I was happy doing that, so I really had nothing. I never put myself at risk of something happening. That was the easiest load I ever had in my life. It was a great experience, having the chance to win something. And I know it doesn’t mean anything to Americans, but winning a gold medal means a lot to me and that was special.”
Embiid has been increasing his activity, participating in five-on-five scrimmages at practice. While he feels he’s moving in the right direction, he’s hesitant to set a specific return date.
He acknowledged facing mental hurdles in his return to the court, expressing concerns about potential re-injury.
“I think it’s being comfortable,” he said, via NBC Sports Philly. “Trusting it. I think, just being out there, I want to be at my best. I don’t want to be in a situation where I’m like, ‘I’m afraid if I do this, I might do something.’ … Since the last surgery, it was probably the toughest mentally. And I think mentally, I’m just dealing with getting that trust back.
“In the past, it was just easy. But for some reason, this one … mentally, just trusting yourself, trusting your body. And I think that’s really what I’m doing now.”
Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid says he’s ‘done way too much’ to be treated like this
During his press conference, Embiid forcefully addressed those questioning his commitment to returning.
Joel Embiid expresses his frustration on not being able to play to start the season 😳 pic.twitter.com/g8IYC9hgY2
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) November 1, 2024
“I’ve broken my face twice. I came back early with the risk of losing my vision. I’ve had broken fingers. I still came back,” Embiid stated. “So I’m not going to sit here and be like when I see people saying, ‘He doesn’t want to play.’ I’ve done way too much for this city and putting myself at risk for people to be saying that, so I do think it’s bulls***… I’ve done way too much for this f****** city to be treated like this — done way too f****** much. But like I said, I wish I was as lucky as other ones, but that doesn’t mean that I’m not trying to do whatever it takes to be out there, which I’m going to be here pretty soon.”
Since being drafted in 2014, Embiid has missed nearly 50% of his regular-season games, including his first two seasons due to injuries.
Without Embiid and George, the 76ers have struggled to a 1-3 record to start the year. The team faces the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday.
It’s not yet known when either Embiid or George will return.
Related: How many more games will Philadelphia 76ers’ Paul George miss to start the season?