Joel Embiid, the Philadelphia 76ers‘ franchise star and centerpiece, had a successful arthroscopic procedure on his left knee yesterday. He had the surgery done at the NYU Langone Sports Medicine Center. The surgery, carried out by noted knee specialist Dr. Jonathan L. Glashow, was an effort to cure the recurrent knee pain. This problem had been preventing Joel Embiid’s involvement for the entirety of the 2024-25 NBA season.
The impact of this also became obvious during the 2024-25 season, as Embiid played a career-low 19 games. His knee problems really began to take a toll on his play. Nevertheless, when he was on the court, he still produced at a clip of 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. Sadly for Embiid and the 76ers franchise, injuries hit him hard during most of the 2021 NBA season. In late February, those setbacks made it impossible for him to be ruled out for the remainder of the year.
This season was hit especially hard by the off-court stuff. Not coincidentally, this was the same Joel Embiid who earned a three-game suspension for shoving a columnist in the team’s locker room. This case, when combined with the sinus fracture he received earlier in the season, increased the impatience with his play. It also darkened worries about his future availability.
The 76ers’ inability to stay healthy showed in their performance, as they wound up a disappointing 13th in the Eastern Conference. The team’s disappointing results reflect not only Embiid’s absences but the broader challenges faced throughout the season. The absence of their star player has everyone from fans to experts wondering what the future may hold for the franchise on the court.
After Embiid’s surgery, his injury will be re-evaluated in about six weeks. The timeline for his full recovery remains unclear. The successful surgery has left all of us hopeful for his return to full fitness and further contributions on the field.
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