76ers' Joel Embiid Makes Surprising Admission on NBA Future

Joel Embiid‘s decade in the NBA has to be measured differently than by years played alone.

Embiid, 32, struggled to stay on the court, chronically battling relentless injuries. To start, the Philadelphia 76ers drafted Embiid third overall in 2014, but he couldn’t start playing until the 2016-17 season due to a complicated foot fracture.

Countless knee ailments, three facial fractures, and a Bell’s palsy diagnosis later, Embiid underwent an emergency appendectomy on April 9. That sidelined him until last Sunday, when he put up 26 points and 10 rebounds in the 76ers’ 128-96 loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series.

Embiid showed how dominant he can still be on the floor during Philadelphia’s 113-97 win over Boston in Game 5 on Tuesday. Despite a knee injury scare in the third quarter, the 2023 NBA MVP finished with 33 points, eight assists, four rebounds, and one block.

After the win, Embiid offered a transparent reflection on his injury-riddled career and how it colors his NBA future.

“I’ve dealt with a lot of stuff over my career,” Embiid told reporters. “I don’t complain. I just want to give as much as I can every single time I step on the floor. I know a lot of people might have takes of that I might be lazy or whatever, but every single time I’m on the floor, I want to play as hard as possible.”

The seven-time All-Star added, “I just want to play basketball whether I’m good physically or mentally. I just want to enjoy this moment, just being part of a basketball team that’s trying to accomplish something, and that’s to win every single game.”

Embiid said he “fought” to return from his appendectomy because he didn’t want to have regrets this summer.

“I’m just thankful to be in a position where I get to play,” Embiid said. “I don’t know how long I have [that] I can do this, so I just want to enjoy as much as possible.”

By beating Boston in Game 5, Embiid and the 76ers earned at least one more game. The Celtics lead the series 3-2 and will visit the 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena for Game 6 on Thursday night.

The winner of this series will face either the New York Knicks or Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Knicks lead the Hawks 3-2.

2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.

This story was originally published April 29, 2026 at 11:45 AM.