During his professional journey, Philadelphia 76ers’ star Joel Embiid has encountered numerous injury hurdles. Moreover, the 2024-25 season has proven to be yet another campaign fraught with these obstacles for Embiid.
On February 28, the Philadelphia 76ers officially declared that Embiid would miss the remainder of the season due to persistent complications with his knee. However, recent social media updates have circulated regarding Embiid’s circumstances. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, there appears to be growing tension between Embiid and the Sixers regarding managing his knee injury.
“One thing as well to keep in mind here going into the offseason, there was some tension there between Joel Embiid and that front office from my understanding…The team believed he needed to play at some point…He felt like he needed surgery.” Charania said during the recent episode of First Take.
Shams: “One thing as well to keep in mind here going into the offseason, there was some tension there between Joel Embiid and that front office from my understanding…The team believed he needed to play at some point…He felt like he needed surgery.” 😳
— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) April 3, 2025
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Embiid’s participation in the 2024-25 season was significantly hampered as he managed to play just 19 games due to a left knee injury.
An Ex-NBA Player Outperformed Joel Embiid In Games Played Since 2014
Injury challenges have greatly limited Joel Embiid’s number of games played throughout his career. Last season, he participated in only 39 regular-season games. The most games Embiid has played in a single season was during the 2021-22 NBA season when he appeared in 68 games. Recently, ClutchPoints compared the total number of games Embiid has played to the number Carmelo Anthony played from 2014 until his retirement.
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According to ClutchPoints, Anthony was 30 years old when Embiid entered the NBA in 2014. He last played on April 5, 2022, and during his career, he participated in more games than Embiid. Melo’s durability is often underrated. He played in 65 or more games in 15 out of his total seasons.
Carmelo Anthony was 30 years old when Joel Embiid entered the league in 2014. He last suited up on April 5, 2022.
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 3, 2025
And in that span he still played in MORE games than Embiid 🤯
Melo's durability was criminally underrated. He played in 65+ games in 15 out of his 19 seasons in the… pic.twitter.com/vSx6FS9M79
In contrast, Embiid has played 65 or more games only twice in his nine years with the Philadelphia 76ers. This comparison highlights the differences in their careers: one player consistently stayed ready and fought through the league’s evolution, while the other has excelled when healthy but has struggled with injuries. This serves as a reminder that availability is often the best ability.
