Embiid said Monday that he lost 25-30 pounds this offseason in an effort to be healthier during the playoffs, Sam DiGiovanni of ClutchPoints.com reports.
Embiid added that there's no agenda this season other than winning during the postseason. Embiid is a seven-time All-Star and was named the 2023 NBA MVP, not to mention a laundry list of other accolades, but the big man has struggled to perform at his peak when it matters most. The emergence of Tyrese Maxey and the addition of Paul George should ease Embiid's regular-season burden, but it'll be interesting to see how the 76ers handle their star player this season. Embiid made 39 regular-season appearances last season -- his fewest since his rookie campaign -- and has never played more than 70 games in his eight-year career.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Inks max extension with Philly
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Embiid agreed to a three-year, $192.9 million maximum contract extension with the 76ers on Friday, Ramona Shelbourne of ESPN.com reports.
The MVP center was already signed through the 2025-26 campaign and had a $59 million player option for 2026-27, but he'll decline that option and tack on the three-year extension that also includes its own player option. Embiid was limited to 39 games last season due to a meniscal flap tear after playing at least 66 contests in each of the previous two seasons, but he was as productive as ever when available as he averaged career highs in points (34.7), assists (5.6) and steals (1.2) to go along with 11.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Scores 19 points in comeback win
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Embiid managed 19 points (8-11 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 1-1 FT), four rebounds, two assists and one block in 27 minutes during Thursday's 95-91 semifinal win over Serbia.
Embiid was one of three Team USA players to score in double digits -- the others being Stephen Curry (36) and LeBron James (16), who had a triple-double. However, Embiid also led the team with three turnovers. Regardless, Team USA is advancing to the gold medal game against France.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Starting vs. Serbia
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Embiid (ankle) will start Thursday's semifinal matchup against Serbia.
Embiid was dealing with ankle discomfort and sat out the second half of Tuesday's win over Brazil. However, he's feeling good enough to play and start in the semifinal against Nikola Jokic and Serbia.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Sits final half versus Brazil
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Embiid was held out of the second half of Tuesday's 122-87 win over Brazil in the quarterfinals of the Paris Olympics due to ankle discomfort, Tim Reynolds of Associated Press reports. The 30-year-old posted 14 points (5-6 FG, 3-3 3Pt, 1-1 FT), seven rebounds, one assist and one steal across 12 minutes.
Embiid reportedly told coach Steve Kerr at halftime that he was experiencing ankle discomfort, and he was rested for the remainder of the game. While the big man's status is something to monitor ahead of the Olympic semifinals, he will likely suit up, as Team USA has a tall order ahead of it against Serbia and Nikola Jokic. Despite playing only the first half of the contest against Brazil, Embiid's ability to score and dominate on the glass amid ankle discomfort bodes well for Team USA if he returns to action in the squad's next contest Thursday.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Not starting vs. South Sudan
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Embiid isn't starting Wednesday's Olympic matchup against South Sudan.
Embiid was held in check during Sunday's matchup against Serbia, totaling four points (2-5 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 0-3 FT), two rebounds and a block in 11 minutes despite drawing the start. Anthony Davis will replace Embiid in Wednesday's starting lineup.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Gets green light Sunday
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Coach Steve Kerr said Saturday that he expects Embiid (illness) to play in Sunday's Olympic matchup versus Serbia, BasketNews.com reports.
After missing Saturday's practice due to an illness, Embiid is expected to suit up for Team USA's opening game of the group phase. The superstar will be playing in his first Olympic game for the United States, and through five exhibition matchups he has shown he will likely be a focal point on the stacked roster. Embiid is coming off another stellar campaign during which he averaged a career-high 34.7 points, 11.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.7 blocks while shooting 52.9 percent from the field during the regular season.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Efficient from field in win Monday
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Embiid posted 15 points (5-8 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 4-4 FT), eight rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block across 22 minutes in Team USA's 92-88 exhibition game win over Germany on Monday.
Embiid followed up a 2-for-8 performance from the field Wednesday against Serbia with two extremely efficient outings, shooting a combined 10-for-14 across the USA's last two exhibition games. Embiid's ability to move the ball Monday was also impressive as he led the squad in assists. The All-Star has been elite on the boards through five exhibition matchups thus far, averaging 6.8 rebounds per game.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: 39-point effort not enough Thursday
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Embiid provided 39 points (12-25 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 13-13 FT), 13 rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal over 40 minutes before fouling out of Thursday's 118-115 loss to the Knicks in Game 6 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Embiid was clearly not 100 percent healthy throughout the series, and the limitations were more noticeable as the series progressed but still posted outstanding stat lines, scoring 29 or more points in four of the six contests. He also recorded three double-doubles and a triple-double, but he couldn't do the heavy lifting on his own in the games where Tyrese Maxey struggled. Between the Play-In win over the Heat and the first-round series against the Knicks, Embiid averaged 31.6 points, 11.4 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.3 blocks across 41.0 minutes per game.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Available for Game 6
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Embiid (knee) is available and starting in Game 6 against the Knicks on Thursday.
This is not a surprise considering the situation the 76ers are in, as Philadelphia must win this game to force a decisive Game 7. Embiid is averaging 31.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.2 steals per game in the first-round series against the Knicks.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Questionable for Game 6
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Embiid (knee) is questionable for Game 6 against the Knicks on Thursday.
Embiid has been listed as questionable for every game in this series so far, but he's yet to miss a game, so he feels much closer to probable. While the reigning MVP hasn't looked 100 percent, he continues to stuff the stat sheet and has averaged 31.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.2 steals in 41.8 minutes.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Will play in Game 5
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Embiid (knee/migraine) is available for Tuesday's Game 5 against the Knicks.
Embiid has been upgraded from questionable to available Tuesday despite dealing with a left knee injury and a migraine. The superstar big man has averaged 35.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks in 40.3 minutes across the first four games of the series.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Misses shootaround Tuesday
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Embiid (knee) sat out of Tuesday's shootaround due to a migraine, Ky Carlin of USA Today reports.
There's been no change to his status for Tuesday's Game 5 versus the Knicks, so Embiid remains questionable to play due to his left knee soreness. Despite the questionable tag, it would be a major surprise if Embiid was held out with Philadelphia's season on the line.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Listed questionable for Tuesday
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Embiid is questionable for Tuesday's Game 5 against the Knicks due to left knee injury recovery.
Embiid has averaged 35.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks in 40.3 minutes over the first four games of the opening-round series. However, the reigning MVP, who missed two months during the regular season after undergoing meniscus surgery, continues to be listed as questionable and has struggled in every fourth quarter thus far. With the 76ers facing elimination in New York on Tuesday, it'd be shocking if Embiid didn't suit up.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: All-around showing in Game 4 loss
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Embiid provided 27 points (7-19 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 12-14 FT), 10 rebounds, six assists, two blocks and three steals across 44 minutes during Sunday's 97-92 loss to New York in Game 4 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Embiid led all Philadelphia players in scoring, rebounds, blocks and steals in an all-around performance. Despite dealing with a lingering knee injury throughout the series, Embiid has played in all four games and has tallied at least 25 points, eight rebounds and five assists in three straight outings. Look for Embiid to put together another strong outing in Game 5 to help the 76ers avoid elimination in a win-or-go-home contest.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Good to go for Game 4
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Embiid (knee) is available for Sunday's Game 4 against the Knicks.
Embiid continues to be listed as questionable but hasn't yet missed a postseason game. He has averaged 37.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.4 steals-plus-blocks through the first three games of the opening-round series and is coming off a 50-point explosion during Philadelphia's Game 3 win Thursday.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Questionable for Game 4
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Embiid (knee) is questionable for Sunday's Game 4 versus the Knicks.
Embiid has been listed as questionable for every game in this series so far, but he continues to push through his knee issue and the mild case of Bell's palsy that has affected his eye. During Thursday's Game 3 win, Embiid finished with 50 points (13-19 FG, 5-7 3Pt, 19-21 FT), eight rebounds, four assists and one block across 41 minutes.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Reveals medical condition after big game
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Embiid revealed after Thursday's 125-114 win over the Knicks in Game 3 of the first-round playoff series that he's being treated for a mild case of Bell's palsy, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports. He finished the Game 3 win with 50 points (13-19 FG, 5-7 3Pt, 19-21 FT), eight rebounds, four assists and one block across 41 minutes.
Since making his return to action April 2 following his recovery from left knee surgery, Embiid has routinely been posting big scoring numbers, but he wasn't as efficient as usual, as he converted 44.8 percent of his field-goal attempts in his first games back from the injury. However, Embiid looked as dominant as ever Thursday as the 76ers staved off a 3-0 series deficit, becoming the first player in NBA playoff history to score 50 points on fewer than 20 field-goal attempts. Embiid's postgame revelation of his Bell's palsy diagnosis may be the bigger headline, with the center noting that he first noticed symptoms of the condition following the 76ers' Play-In Tournament victory over the Heat last week. Bell's palsy is a condition in which a person experiences facial weakness or paralysis due to injury to the seventh facial nerve. Based on Embiid's performance Thursday, his play nor his availability are expected to be affected by the issue.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Good to go Thursday
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Embiid (knee) will start Thursday's Game 3 against the Knicks, Kyle Neubeck of AllPHLY.com reports.
Embiid carried a questionable tag prior to this update, but he seemed more than fine in the opening pair of games in this series. He made it through his usual warmup, and there's no word of any restrictions ahead of tipoff, so he seems like a safe bet to handle his regular workload after logging 35-plus minutes in the first two contests of the series.
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76ers' Joel Embiid: Considered questionable for Game 3
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Embiid is questionable for Thursday's Game 3 against the Knicks due to left knee injury recovery.
Embiid played 37 and 39 minutes, respectively, during the first two games of the series and totaled 63 points, 18 rebounds, 12 assists, two steals and a block during those contests. Despite the prolific stats, he hasn't looked 100 percent at times, but it'd be surprising if the reigning MVP didn't try to gut it out with his team facing a two-game deficit.
