The 76ers will be starting their preseason early with an international showcase against the Knicks next week in Abu Dhabi. As such, the team gathered on Friday for one of the NBA's first media days. Which meant, among other things, that Joel Embiid spoke to reporters for the first time in months after injuries plagued his 2024-25 season.
Embiid had a nagging knee injury from the very start of the year that allowed him to make only 19 appearances for Philadelphia. He looked hobbled more often than not during those games and wound up getting surgery on his left knee in April. On Friday he gave a vague update to reporters on his recovery status.
"I feel pretty good," Embiid said. "I think we've made a lot of progress over the last couple of months. We've got a plan in place, trying to check all the boxes, just taking it day-by-day... Everything is on schedule.
"There's not necessarily an expectation. It's all about making sure everything is right and doing everything right and then going from there."
The superstar center then got honest about the nature of injury recovery and how his particular issues have proven unpredictable in the past.
"I want to be as honest as possible," he said. "Going forward, we're just going to listen to the body. I'll be honest and say that it's going to be unpredictable at times. That's OK. We got to work with that. We've got to take it day-by-day and go from there."
Sixers fans were undoubtedly hoping for more concrete confirmation that Embiid is finally healthy after spending so much time on the shelf last year. But that is not really how the 76ers have historically operated and Embiid's injury history is so extensive that an entirely clean bill of health may be a pipe dream at this point.
But the MVP center sounds optimistic. How he looks as he takes the floor this season will go a long way in determining how the Eastern Conference shakes out in a wide-open year.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Joel Embiid Gives Health Update As Sixers Embark Upon Training Camp, Preseason .
