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I wish there was a way to know you’re back in the good old days before you leave them.
Joel Embiid has already surpassed all odds. When he was a tall, skinny boy growing up in Cameroon, he loved soccer and was probably destined to become a volleyball star. Then, at age 15, he started playing basketball thanks in large part to fellow Cameroonian Luc Mbah a Moute.
He is now the reigning NBA MVP and one of the most dominant forces the sport has ever seen. Embiid likes to say that his life is like a movie. If Disney ever comes calling, that script would be full of twists and turns. However, picking a 7-footer with Embiid’s charisma could prove to be a challenge.
Embiid will turn 30 in March. He has played in 428 regular season games and 53 postseason games. He has suffered many injuries, often at the worst possible times.
While there were a lot of stupid speeches last weekend, Tuesday night’s disaster is a poignant reminder that we should enjoy and appreciate Joel Embiid while he’s still playing basketball at such a ridiculously high level.
When news broke that Embiid would be cut late Saturday and miss another matchup against Nikola Jokic in Denver, it was almost a numbing feeling. We had been here before. Too many times.
While people were making jokes and the media people (especially those who cover the Nuggets) were furious because Embiid “dodged” Jokic, many around here had that sinking feeling.
Okay, so what’s really going on with Embiid’s knee?
While there was a lot of embarrassing behavior from people in the media, the biggest shame is that it appears Embiid heard the taunts. He saw the ridiculous and unfounded idea that He has avoided playing against Jokic in Denver. and that he only plays against bad teams as a visitor.
And for those reasons, he apparently decided to try playing Tuesday night in San Francisco. Should have never happened. A player who a week ago set a franchise record by dropping 70 points in a game looked like a shell of himself. For years it has felt as if Sixers He fell off a cliff every time Embiid went to the bench. Against the Warriors, he seemed to be actively hurting the team.
The night ended in horribly predictable fashion, with Embiid playing meaningless minutes in the fourth quarter and have your leg landed He continued as he dove to recover his eighth turnover of the night. There were signs throughout the night that Embiid was physically compromised. Sure, we all make jokes about how often he falls, but this was different. It seemed as if he was fighting against his own body for almost 30 minutes.
There’s no other way to put it: It was an organizational failure for Embiid to take the floor against Golden State. No one should escape blame for what we all witnessed. Embiid and the team can repeat that the goal is to get the superstar center healthy into the playoffs, but his actions are falling short.
We’re getting to the point where it’s fair to wonder how many playoff runs Embiid has left. When he’s been healthy this season, he’s never played better. His basketball skill and intellect are at their peak; his body does not. Embiid has taken steps to get in better shape, including hiring a world-class dietician. But given his build, his injury history and his age, there is concern about how many injuries he can sustain before it becomes too much.
He has already missed 12 of the Sixers’ 34 games this season. She was out due to illness at one point, but suffered hip pain, sprained ankle and has now been dealing with swelling in her left knee for about a month. Embiid has talked extensively about how he hasn’t turned over any possessions this season and how he’s doing everything he can on both ends. That style of play has led to stellar performances both ways, but it could also be the reason he’s so banged up even before the calendar turns to February.
Everyone (the team, the media, the fans) needs to have more appreciation for what Embiid is doing and how delicate the situation has become.
One day (hopefully, not soon), Embiid will probably have a tearful press conference announcing his retirement. Whether Allen Iverson makes sure to return to the Sixers to do so after stints with other teams or a farewell tour with the Sixers a la Julius Erving, that day will one day come for Embiid. The number 21 will go up to the rafters of whatever stadium they are playing in at the time.
As the saying goes, Father Time is undefeated.
That’s why no one, not even Embiid himself, should get caught up in nonsense. The goal is to win a championship and cement his legacy. When he finally retires, the talk will go from whatever nonsense we’re talking about now, to where Embiid not only stands in Sixers history, but in Philadelphia sports history as well.
We’ll have the rest of our lives to regret what could have been if the Sixers continue to fall short in the postseason.
We only have this moment to watch Joel Embiid play basketball.
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