The NBA career of Joel Embiid got off to a very rough start and the Sixers star admits that he almost quit after his rookie season.

Embiid missed his entire rookie season with a broken foot. Then the All-Star big man found out he was going to need a second surgery. At that point, Joel Embiid tells ESPN he almost gave up on his basketball dream and headed back home to Africa.

“After my first year, when I found out that I needed a second surgery. And that was at the time that my brother had just died too. So to me, in my head, I was like, ‘What am I even doing here?' “

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Luckily for Sixers fans and the entire NBA, Joel Embiid didn't quit, and now he's one of the best players in the entire NBA.

Joel Embiid played in 63 games last season and didn’t disappoint, averaging 22.9 points and 11.0 rebounds while shooting 48.3 percent from the field and 30.8 percent from three. The 7-footer made the All-Star team, helped the Sixers clinch the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference and advance to the second-round of the playoffs, and was also in the running for Defensive Player of the Year.

This year, Joel Embiid has taken his game to the next level. He entered Wednesday averaging 27.0 points, 13.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game for the Sixers.