Philadelphia 76ers star player Joel Embiid has faced ongoing injury challenges throughout the 2023-24 season. Last season, the 30-year-old suffered a lateral meniscus injury in his left knee. Although he underwent knee surgery, the issue continues to impact his performance.
Despite facing numerous injury challenges, Embiid signed a three-year contract extension with the 76ers worth $193 million. This decision sparked reactions among basketball fans, especially since the 30-year-old had played only four games in the 2024-25 NBA season. However, during a recent appearance on the “Run It Back” podcast on FanDuel TV, Sam Amick from The Athletic provided some surprising insights regarding Embiid’s contract.
“I had asked essentially, ‘Was there any regret about doing the extension? … And did you also know at that time (about the injury)?’ And the answers I got were, ‘Yes, we knew,’ and that there was a confidence level in their ability to manage it going forward.” Amick said.
According to Sam Amick here, the Sixers knew Joel Embiid’s health was as bad as it is right now & still blindly gave him the extension anyway.
— RB (@RBPhillyTake) November 26, 2024
If true… that is a huge mistake.
pic.twitter.com/EC3a79UM9H
Amick revealed that the 76ers were aware of the severity of Embiid’s health issues but still chose to offer him an extension.
Sam Amick Evaluates Embiid’s Play In The 2024 Paris Olympics And New NBA Season
Despite undergoing knee surgery during the last NBA season, Embiid continued to impress his fans. The 30-year-old was selected for the Team USA roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he delivered several dominant performances that helped secure the gold medal. However, as the new NBA season begins, he has not been available to play much, a situation that Amick recently addressed.
“It is a confusing situation because I was in France with Team USA, covering the Olympics and talking to people from the national team…When I learned that he didn’t miss a practice, he didn’t miss a shootaround, that he was a 100% participant in all the national team activities, you know, now you try to reconcile that with the way he’s been moving during the NBA season. Just common sense tells you, like, okay, something in between went down.” Amick said.
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The Philadelphia 76ers are facing a tough season, with only 3 wins and 13 losses. Nevertheless, fans remain hopeful that Embiid can help improve their performance in the upcoming games.
When I learned that he didn’t miss a practice, he didn’t miss a shootaround, that he was a 100% participant in all the national team activities, you know, now you try to reconcile that with the way he’s been moving during the NBA season. Just common sense tells you, like, okay, something in between went down
Also Read: Philadelphia 76ers Gets Brutal Injury Update On Joel Embiid
