The Philadelphia 76ers have gone 12 games without their big man Joel Embiid and there hasn’t been much success without the reigning MVP ever since his knee injury. The team has lost eight games in his absence. Embiid has been MIA since 30th January after a game against the Warriors. He was already dealing with persistent knee pain, which was made worse when the Warriors‘ Jonathan Kuminga landed on his left knee while diving for a loose ball.

However, good news has finally come Philly’s way as Embiid breaks the news about a possible return after undergoing surgery to correct a torn lateral meniscus on 6th February. According to an X post by Philly Inquirer‘s Keith Pompey, the 7X NBA All-Star replied, “That’s the plan,” when asked whether he will return to play this season. As per the timeline of his return, Embiid said, “There’s really no timeline… It all depends on how it feels, and if it feels great, then that’s good.”

Moreover, when Embiid was asked why he decided to come back at all after suffering a serious injury, he asserted, “The same reason why I was pushing the last couple games. I just love playing basketball, I wanna be on the floor as much as possible. I only have about 20 years to do this.” 

Embiid further explained that he will never pass up on any chance to play the game he loves. The news of his return is greatly encouraging for the Sixers, who have been struggling to assert their dominance without him on the court.

Suiting up for the Olympics

Last year in October, it was confirmed that Embiid would represent Team USA in the 2024 Olympics in Paris. However, his injury in late January had raised some uncertainties regarding his appearance. Dispelling all doubts, Embiid affirmed that he would stick by that plan. He said, “It’s the same mindset. If I feel good, I’m playing.”

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The ‘Process’ has missed 24 games this season which means he is already out of a back-to-back MVP race. He has averaged a career-high 35.3 points, and 5.7 assists, along with 11.3 rebounds this season. Although the Sixers haven’t laid down an exact timeline for Embiid’s return, Insider Adrian Wojnarowski has announced that fans can expect the MVP back in action by “late March.”

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