A Blast From The Past: Joel Embiid

Joel Embiid was born on March 16, 1994, in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Growing up, Embiid didn't immediately have his sights set on becoming a professional basketball player. He primarily played volleyball and soccer as a child before discovering basketball as a teenager. His life would change in 2011 when former NBA player Luc Richard Mbah a Moute spotted Embiid at a basketball camp in Cameroon. Mbah a Moute recognized Embiid's incredible size and athletic potential and helped convince him to move to the United States to pursue basketball. Embiid would eventually attend The Rock School in Gainesville, Florida, where he began developing the skills that would eventually make him one of the most dominant players in the NBA.

Embiid's transition to American basketball would happen quickly. After playing his senior year at The Rock School, where he averaged 13.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game, Embiid became one of the top high school prospects in the country. He participated in both the Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoops Summit, giving him the opportunity to compete against some of the best young players in the United States. Despite having only played organized basketball for a relatively short period of time, Embiid's combination of size, athleticism, coordination, and natural talent made him one of the most intriguing prospects in the country.

Embiid would eventually choose to attend the University of Kansas in 2013. His freshman season with the Jayhawks would be short but incredibly impressive. Embiid averaged 11.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.6 blocks, and 0.9 steals per game while shooting 62.6 percent from the field. He quickly established himself as one of the best defensive players in college basketball and was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. He also set Kansas freshman records for blocks, field-goal percentage, and rebounding. Unfortunately, a lower-back injury forced him to miss the final six games of the season, including the Big 12 Tournament and NCAA Tournament.

Even though Embiid had only played one season of college basketball, his potential was impossible to ignore. He decided to enter the 2014 NBA Draft, where the Philadelphia 76ers selected him with the third overall pick. The selection was a major moment for Philadelphia because the organization believed it had found a potential franchise cornerstone during its rebuilding process. However, Embiid's NBA journey would immediately become more difficult than expected. A foot injury prevented him from playing during the 2014-15 season, and complications from that injury forced him to miss the following season as well. Instead of immediately beginning his NBA career, Embiid would spend his first two professional seasons watching from the sidelines and working to get healthy.

After two years of waiting, Embiid would finally make his NBA debut during the 2016-17 season. Despite the long layoff, he immediately showed why the Sixers had selected him so highly. Embiid averaged 20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks in just 31 games, earning NBA All-Rookie Team honors. His season was cut short because of another injury, but the flashes of dominance were enough to make Philadelphia fans believe that the organization had finally found its franchise player.

Embiid would take another major step forward during the 2017-18 season. He played 63 games and averaged 22.9 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game while earning his first All-Star selection. For the first time, Embiid was able to play a full NBA season without his development being completely interrupted by injury. He became one of the league's most difficult players to defend because of his combination of size and skill. A player who had only started playing basketball seriously several years earlier was now becoming one of the best centers in the world.

Over the next several seasons, Embiid would establish himself as the centerpiece of the 76ers. He became a regular All-Star and All-NBA player while continuing to improve his scoring, rebounding, defense, and ability to create offense. His rivalry with other Eastern Conference stars became one of the defining storylines of Philadelphia basketball, but Embiid continued to separate himself through his ability to dominate both inside and outside the paint. By this point, the nickname "The Process" had become closely associated with Embiid and the era of Sixers basketball that began during Philadelphia's rebuild.

The 2021-22 season would be another major turning point in Embiid's career. He averaged 30.6 points per game and became the first Philadelphia player since Allen Iverson to win the NBA scoring title. He also became the first center since Shaquille O'Neal to average more than 30 points per game over a full season. Embiid's dominance made him one of the league's most complete offensive players, and his ability to score from the post, mid-range, and three-point line made him extremely difficult for opposing defenses to handle.

Embiid would take his game to another level during the 2022-23 season. He averaged 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game while leading Philadelphia to one of the best regular-season records in the Eastern Conference. After several years of coming close, Embiid finally won the NBA Most Valuable Player award. He became the first Sixers player to win the MVP since Allen Iverson and established himself as one of the best players in the entire league. He also won his second consecutive scoring title, becoming one of the most dominant offensive centers basketball had seen in years.

The 2023-24 season would produce another historic moment in Embiid's career. On January 22, 2024, he scored a franchise-record 70 points against the San Antonio Spurs while also recording 18 rebounds and five assists. The performance broke Wilt Chamberlain's previous 76ers record of 68 points and became one of the greatest individual games in franchise history. Embiid would finish the season averaging 34.7 points per game, giving him his third consecutive season averaging more than 30 points.

That summer, Embiid would represent the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Despite being born in Cameroon and holding French citizenship, Embiid chose to play for Team USA. He helped the United States win the gold medal, adding another major accomplishment to an already impressive career. Winning an Olympic gold medal also gave Embiid an opportunity to compete alongside some of the greatest American basketball players in the world.

Embiid's career would continue to be shaped by injuries, however. His 2024-25 season was severely limited by a left knee problem, and he ultimately played only 19 games before undergoing surgery. The injury was another difficult setback for a player who had already dealt with significant injuries throughout his career. After missing most of the season, Embiid returned to the court during the following campaign and continued working to manage his health while remaining one of Philadelphia's most important players.

During the 2025-26 season, Embiid returned to action and averaged 26.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in the games he played. Philadelphia eventually reached the Eastern Conference semifinals before being eliminated by the New York Knicks. Embiid continued to produce at a high level when healthy, but his workload and availability remained closely monitored because of his injury history.

Entering the 2026-27 season, Embiid remains with the 76ers and is still under contract with Philadelphia. The organization has continued to manage his workload carefully, with his health becoming one of the biggest factors surrounding the team's championship hopes. Even after dealing with injuries, Embiid remains one of the most accomplished players in franchise history. He has been selected to seven All-Star Games, won one MVP award, earned five All-NBA selections, made three All-Defensive Teams, won two scoring titles, and helped Team USA win an Olympic gold medal.

One thing you can't deny about Embiid is that his career has been an incredible story of development and perseverance. He went from a teenager in Cameroon who was primarily playing volleyball and soccer to one of the most dominant basketball players in the world. He moved across the world to learn basketball, became a one-and-done star at Kansas, was selected third overall by Philadelphia, and then had to wait two entire seasons before he could finally play his first NBA game. From there, he developed into an MVP, scoring champion, seven-time All-Star, Olympic gold medalist, and one of the greatest players of his generation.

In my opinion, Embiid's legacy in Philadelphia is about more than his statistics. He became the face of the Sixers during one of the most important eras in franchise history and helped turn the organization from a rebuilding team into a consistent championship contender. His injuries have unfortunately prevented him from having the uninterrupted career that many expected, and the biggest question still surrounding him is whether he can stay healthy long enough to lead Philadelphia to its first NBA championship since 1983. However, regardless of what happens from this point forward, Embiid has already left an enormous mark on Philadelphia basketball. From "The Process" to an MVP season and some of the greatest individual performances in franchise history, Joel Embiid has become one of the most recognizable and important players to ever wear a Sixers uniform.

Photo Credits: NBA