Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers reportedly had tension over how to handle his knee injury this season. According to Shams Charania, the Sixers wanted Embiid to play through it to regain conditioning, while he insisted on surgery.
Joel Embiid’s 2024-25 season was derailed by injuries, but behind the scenes, things may have been even more complicated for the Philadelphia 76ers.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, there was reported "tension" between Embiid and the Sixers over how to handle his knee injury.
The 2022-23 MVP believed surgery was necessary, while the team preferred he play through the issue to regain conditioning.
"There was some tension there between Joel Embiid and that front office, from my understanding," Charania said on NBA Today.
"The team believed he needed to play at some points of the season, that he needed to get his conditioning right through playing and getting better that way. He felt like he needed surgery. He ends up getting the surgery," he added.
Despite Philadelphia initially resisting the idea, Embiid ultimately underwent surgery, ending his season.
This season, the 31-year-old star only played 19 games, in which he averaged 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists. He shot 44.4% from the field.
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