Joel Embiid’s Injury History

The Philadelphia 76ers' center Joel Embiid was born on March 16, 1994. He was selected third in the first round of the 2014 NBA Draft. He hails from Yaoundé, Cameroon, but he went to Montverde Academy, followed by the Rock School, both in Florida. After graduating, as a five-star recruit, he opted for the Kansas Jayhawks in 2013. In his sole season, he played in 28 games, starting 20, averaging 11.2 points, 1.4 assists and 8.1 rebounds. He made his NBA debut in 2016–17 after missing two seasons due to multiple foot and knee injuries. However, he was still named for the NBA All-Rookie First Team with only 31 games; he was able to play then.

Embiid has been named to the NBA All-Star team seven times, the All-NBA Team five times, the All-Defensive Team three times, and the NBA scoring champion twice. He went on to win the NBA MVP award in 2023. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, he also brought home a gold medal for the United States. He has started all 433 of his games throughout his eight seasons with the 76ers, averaging 27.9 points, 3.6 assists, and 11.2 rebounds. In 2023, he achieved a career-high average point total of 34.7. He was the NBA's leading scorer in the 2021–22 and 2022–23 seasons, the first center to lead the league in scoring since Shaquille O'Neal (2000) and the first center to average over 30 points per game since Moses Malone (1982).

Joel Embiid’s Injury History

Joel Embiid has suffered more than 100 injuries as of November 2024 in his career in the NBA, as per Fox Sports. However, his knee and foot problems were the most serious, with some resulting in season-ending injuries. A foot injury in the 2014 season, which was meant to be his debut season, sidelined him for two seasons, then he had another knee injury in the 2016-17 season. Knee and foot injuries persisted throughout the 2022, 2023, and 2024 seasons.

Embiid’s injuries, as per Fox Sports, are as follows:

Major injuries sustained by Joel Embiid in the NBA

Embiid’s major injuries during his NBA career, as of November 2024, are as follows:

Foot Injury (Aug 2014)

Due to a broken navicular bone in his foot, Embiid was declared unlikely to play in the 2014–15 season. The root of the issues lies in his college days, for which he underwent surgery on June 20, 2014, to repair a broken navicular bone in his right foot and was out for four to six months after undergoing it. After six days, on June 26, he was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers.

On June 13, 2015, it was discovered that Embiid had experienced a setback in his recuperation after missing the whole 2014–15 season. This was because a CT scan showed less healing than expected. After undergoing a second round of surgery on his right foot on August 18, 2015, it was ultimately concluded that Embiid had little chance of participating in the 2015-16 season, which turned out to be true, and he missed another season.

Left Knee Injury (Feb 2017)

On February 11, 2017, it was disclosed that Embiid's left knee suffered a torn meniscus, although surgery was not necessary. Embiid was unable to participate in the All-Star Weekend festivities due to the injury. Two days after declaring Embiid out indefinitely on February 27 due to swelling in his left knee, the 76ers released a statement stating that he would miss the remainder of the 2016–17 season.

His left knee's MRI showed that the previously discovered meniscus tear was more noticeable, although the area impacted by the bone bruise had greatly recovered. He had a successful minor arthroscopic procedure on March 24, 2017, to repair the meniscus tear in his left knee. Sports World News reports that he missed 31 games as a result of this injury.

Orbital fracture (March 2018)

After colliding with teammate Markelle Fultz, Embiid sustained an orbital fracture, which kept him out of action for 10 straight games. This includes the first two games of the Sixers' series against the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs. Upon his return, he wore a black safety mask, which was created from a specifically designed blend of fibers and had goggles built into it when he returned.

Left Knee Injury (January 2024)

Golden State's Draymond Green and Jonathan Kuminga double-teamed Embiid in coverage during the fourth quarter of the 76ers' 119-107 defeat to the Warriors. As Kuminga pushed the ball out of Embiid's grasp, he fell to the ground to recover control after Kuminga landed on top of his leg while he was on the ground. The injury sidelined him for 29 games, as per Sporting News.

The meniscus flap in Embiid's left knee was displaced, according to a report by Shams Charania and Joe Vardon of The Athletic. According to orthopaedic knee specialists via The Athletic, a misplaced flap is regarded as a sort of meniscus injury. He had undergone surgery, returning on April 2 and leading the 76ers to a 109-105 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder with 24 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals.