Joel Embiid made his comeback for the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night after being sidelined for the last 13 games due to an oblique injury.
The former NBA MVP scored 35 points, grabbed six rebounds, and provided seven assists in just 28 minutes, but his remarks about his health after the game caught attention.
Following the 157-137 victory over the Chicago Bulls, Embiid stated that his knee problems are now behind him.
“My knees haven’t been an issue for a long time. That’s past me,” Embiid said. “The oblique was very tricky, and it still is tricky. Really nothing you can do about it, gotta let it ride and hope it doesn’t get worse.”
Embiid missed the first 13 games in March due to a right oblique strain, not a knee injury. This season, he missed 13 of the first 20 games mainly due to right knee soreness, but he seems to have moved past that now. This is encouraging for a player who has struggled with knee and foot issues throughout his career.
However, it’s not all positive for Embiid. While he has eased concerns about his knees, he emphasized that his oblique strain still impacts his comfort both on and off the court.
“It’s really painful,” he said. “Can’t cough. Can’t sneeze. Every time you sneeze, it feels like you go right back to where you started. Still not where it’s supposed to be. We are at the point where I don’t think—maybe when the season is over, maybe it’s going to get better. But, yeah, it’s really painful.”
Injuries have become a frustrating reality for Embiid in recent seasons.
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