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Former MVP Joel Embiid has experienced a number of twists and turns throughout his career. Injuries, media narratives, and organizational drama have made his tenure with the Philadelphia 76ers a sight to behold.
While many fans and critics solely blame Embiid for the way his own reputation has evolved, he wishes that the franchise would have saved him from himself during a particularly grueling stretch in 2024.
ESPN’s Dotun Akintoye recently profiled Embiid, and the All-Star spoke openly about his injury-plagued 2024 playoff series against the New York Knicks.
The Cameroon native was fresh off of a knee injury that had not fully healed. He was also dealing with Bell's palsy, a condition that limited Embiid’s eyesight and was accompanied by severe migraines.
“In those situations, you wish some of the people upstairs kind of had your back and were like, this is not OK,” Embiid said. “You're not playing.”
Despite the pain, Embiid continued to produce. While the 76ers ultimately fell to New York in six games, he averaged 33 points, 10.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists.
“It's basically damned if you do, damned if you don't. Because if you don't play, then, you know, there's this whole narrative. … I never cared about the ‘soft' comments,” Embiid said. “All I cared about was the team and my teammates. I never wanted to feel like I was quitting on them. And obviously, that goes back to the whole thing in therapy about not wanting to disappoint people.”
Embiid’s reputation has been partially defined by injuries, but he has made a concerted effort to remain on the court and play through any discomfort that he has faced. This thought process might have made for an intense 2024 postseason run, but it does not sound like he will change his mentality any time soon.
“We can sit here and I'll tell you I'm changing, but I know myself,” Embiid said. “I don't think that's going to happen. … I always want to play.”
