Ahead of his Olympic debut, 76ers superstar center Joel Embiid made headlines by saying he could have entered the GOAT conversation had his career not been derailed by injuries. While the GOAT conversation is a matter of personal opinion, there’s no denying the impact that injuries have had on Embiid’s career.
The No. 3 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, Embiid missed what would have been his first two seasons in the league with foot injuries. His rookie season, which came two years after he was drafted, was also derailed by injury.
10 years after he was drafted, Embiid looks to add an Olympic gold medal to a resume that includes seven All-Star selections and an MVP award. Before looking forward to what he can accomplish with Team USA in Paris, here’s a look back at how injuries have impacted his career.
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Joel Embiid injury history timeline
June 19, 2014: Days before the NBA Draft, Embiid undergoes surgery to repair a stress fracture of the navicular bone in his right foot. He is given a recovery timeline of four-to-six months.
Aug. 27, 2014: The Sixers front office expresses doubt that Embiid will be able to play during the 2014-15 NBA season. He ultimately misses the entirety of the 2014-15 campaign.
June 13, 2015: Embiid suffers a setback in his recovery, per Adrian Wojnarowski. After the 76ers confirmed the report, it is revealed that Embiid re-broke his navicular bone and will require another surgery.
Aug. 18, 2015: Embiid shares a photo from the hospital, confirming that he has undergone successful surgery to repair his broken bone. The 76ers announce he will miss the entirety of the 2015-16 season to recover.
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Jan. 20, 2017: In his 30th career NBA game, Embiid suffers a fall and aggravates his left knee, causing him to miss Philadelphia’s next three games due to swelling and soreness.
Jan. 27, 2017: Embiid scores 32 points in 28 minutes in a loss to the Rockets, which would ultimately be the final game of his rookie season. He returns to the sideline with left knee swelling.
Feb. 11, 2017: The knee swelling is the product of a “minor” meniscus tear, per reports. Embiid is listed as day-to-day by the 76ers.
March 1, 2017: Embiid is ruled out for the remainder of the 2016-17 season after his meniscus injury “appears more pronounced” on a follow-up MRI. He finishes his rookie year having played just 31 games.
March 28, 2018: A collision with teammate Markelle Fultz results in Embiid fracturing his left orbital bone and sustaining a concussion.
The injury requires surgery and Embiid is placed in the league’s concussion protocol, sidelining him for the final eight games of the regular season and the first two games of the 2018 NBA Playoffs.
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Jan. 6, 2020: Embiid suffers a gruesome finger injury in a win over the Thunder. The injury requires surgery and sidelines Embiid for Philadelphia’s next nine games.
May 31, 2021: Embiid takes an awkward fall in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Playoffs against the Wizards. The 76ers later announce that Embiid had suffered a partially torn meniscus in his right knee, sidelining him for one game.
Nov. 8, 2021: Embiid is placed in the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols, causing him to miss nine games.
Upon returning to the lineup, Embiid shares that “I really thought I wasn’t going to make it,” detailing the toll the virus took on him.
April 20, 2022: Embiid tears a ligament in his right thumb in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Playoffs against the Raptors. It is reported that the injury will require offseason surgery.
He still sinks a clutch 3-pointer in the game.
🗣️ SIXERS WIN GAME THREE. pic.twitter.com/1IcPit6yh0
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) April 21, 2022
April 28, 2022: An elbow from Raptors forward Pascal Siakam in Philadelphia’s series-clinching Game 6 win results in Embiid suffering a mild concussion and a right orbital fracture. Embiid misses the first two games of the Eastern Conference Semifinals with the injury.
May 2, 2023: Embiid is named MVP of the 2022-23 NBA season after appearing in 66 of 82 games.
Jan 30, 2024: An awkward play leads to Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga falling on Embiid’s left knee. It is revealed that Embiid suffered a torn lateral meniscus on the play and that the injury would require surgery on his left knee.
April 25, 2024: After scoring 50 points in Game 3 of the NBA Playoffs, Embiid reveals that he had been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, resulting in paralysis of his face, migraines and blurred vision.
July 9, 2024: In preparation for his Olympics debut, Embiid brushes off injury concerns.
“I never worry about injuries because the moment I do I feel I’m not going to be the same,” Embiid says. “I think if something happens then it was meant to happen, so I just go with the flow.”
