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The Philadelphia 76ers' 2024-2025 season has not gone as planned. They are among the worst teams in the league at 20-38, 28 games behind the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers. But it is about to get even worse. Sixers superstar center Joel Embiid is going to miss the rest of the season with his ongoing knee injury.
The Sixers released a statement announcing the news.
“The Philadelphia 76ers and Joel Embiid have been consulting with top specialists regarding ongoing issues with his left knee. After further evaluation, it has been determined that he is medically unable to play and will miss the remainder of the season to focus on treatment and rehabilitation,” the statement read.
“We are working with medical experts to determine the exact treatment plan and will update the media when we have more information. The team and specialists will continue working with Joel to ensure the best path forward for his long-term health and performance.”
Embiid last played on Saturday against the Brooklyn Nets. That evening, he played 31 minutes, scoring 14 points on 4-for-13 shooting with seven rebounds and five assists. A far cry from the numbers Sixers fans have been accustomed to seeing from their All-Star center.
Injuries have marred what could be a Hall of Fame resume for Embiid.
He was drafted third overall in the 2014 NBA Draft out of Kansas. The former Jayhawk made an impact on the league from the day he stepped foot on an NBA court. Embiid averaged over 20 points and almost eight rebounds per game in his rookie season. But that was shortened to 31 games due to a foot injury.
Since that time, he has become one of the most dominant players in all of basketball. But health concerns limited the vast majority of his career.
However, it appeared as though he had finally turned a corner having played most of the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 seasons. But last year, he was limited to 39 games and now will only suit up for 19 this season.
Unfortunately, it begs the question, how much of an impact can Embiid have the rest of his career? He will turn 31 next month, and big men with lower extremity injuries tend to never stay healthy.
