The Philadelphia 76ers are off to a challenging start this season, sitting 12th in the Western Conference with a 1-3 record. Much of this slow start is attributed to the absence of their star, Joel Embiid, who has yet to take the court for the Sixers.
Embiid has been a topic of discussion recently, especially after revealing his plan to avoid playing back-to-back games this season. This stance has stirred criticism from former players, questioning his commitment. However, Embiid opened up about his reasoning during a recent post-practice press conference.
“I mentioned it since the last surgery; I mentioned it so many times, it was probably the toughest mentally. I think mentally I’m just dealing with getting that trust back. In the past, it was just easy,” Embiid said.
“But for some reason, this one is just like mentally trusting yourself and trusting your body. And I think that’s really what I’m doing. I’m almost there. And then with the team, we’re on the same page,” he added.
Joel Embiid Opens Up On His Injuries And Commitment To Philadelphia
Joel Embiid has faced several challenges with injuries, hurting his left knee in a game against the Golden State Warriors on February 1 and suffering a re-injury during last season’s playoffs. While addressing the media, Embiid opened up about his dedication to the team and his determination to stay on the court despite these setbacks.
“I’ve had how broken fingers, [and] I still came back. So I’m not going to sit here and be like when I see people saying, ‘He doesn’t want to play.’ I’ve been way too much. I’ve done way too much for this city—putting myself at risk—for people to be saying that,” Embiid said.
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Last season, Embiid played only 39 games due to injury and averaged 34.7 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 5.6 assists. His performance earned him his seventh All-Star selection.
Also Read: NBA Fines The Philadelphia 76ers A Mammoth Amount For Their Public Statements Around Joel Embiid
