Anatomy Of Joel Embiid

Timeline

Perhaps the best presentation for this is to list the key dates:

DATE:                               News Item:                                                 Narrative:

2010                                  Luc Mbah A Moute finds Embiid          Luc Mbah A Moute discovers 16 year old Joel Embiid playing basketball in Yaounde Cameroon.

Nov 13, 2012                    Joel Embiid commits to Kansas           Following advise of Luc Mbah A Moute, Embiid commits to Kansas University basketball program

March 11, 2014                Joel Embiid back injury                          Joel Embiid’s season ended prematurely with a back injury – a stress fracture in his lower back.

April 9, 2014                    Joel Embiid declares for NBA draft      Joel Embiid immediately projected as 2014 NBA draft top pick.

June 21, 2014                   Joel Embiid’s first foot Surgery             Surgery was performed by Dr. Richard Ferkel, a leader in foot orthopedic surgery

October 14, 2014             Arthur Embiid dies in Africa                  Joel Embiid’s younger brother, Arthur, died in Africa.  Joel, having spent four years in America pursuing his basketball career, had not visited his brother.  Joel’s sister, Muriel, also younger than elder Joel, flew to America to accompany her brother on the trip back to Africa to attend the funeral.

June 13, 2015                   Routine CT scan revealed regression   Routine CT Scan revealed bone healing had regressed, leaving site of surgery vulnerable to re-injury. Dr. Richard Ferkel diagnosed the regression, and alerted the Philadelphia 76ers.

June 15, 2015(est)          Hinkie flies w Martin Embiid                 Due to the nature of the news, Hinkie brought consulting Dr. Martin with Embiid to visit Dr. Ferkel.

June 29, 2015                   76ers announce hire Dr. Martin            Team hiring world’s leading expert in Sports Science and Medicine. First priority: Joel Embiid.

June-July 2015                76ers consult experts for advice             Team sought medical advice of world’s leading experts in case.  Rapid consensus that 2nd surgery needed.

July 4, 2015                      Sixers determine 2nd Surgery                 Team  summarized findings of a dozen or so of world experts and present to Joel Embiid.  Joel was given opportunity to ask     questions and absorb data.  Joel wanted to talk with players, 76ers wanted to assemble the surgical team.

July 11, 2015                    Sixers announce  2nd Embiid surgery    Sixers confirm report from Keith Pompey that Joel Embiid would require second surgery, this time w/ bone graft.  Projected          surgery would occur within seven to ten days.

July 21, 2015                    Embiid seen by TMZ with John Wall     TMZ ran into Joel Embiid and John Wall, Embiid in tennis shoes. Embiid replied “playing video games”.

August 15, 2015               Sixers announce 2nd surgery sched’d     Philadelphia 76ers confirm second surgery will be performed Tuesday, August 18.

August 18, 2015               Embiid 2nd Surgery                                    Embiid second surgery performed at New York City’s Hospital for Special Surgery.  Surgeons involved in Joel Embiid’s surgery  included: Martin O’Malley, Richard Ferkel, Dufetti Fufa, Jonathan Glashow, and Christopher Dodson.

August 19, 2015               Hinkie teleconference Embiid Surgery   Hinkie fielded a teleconference on August 19, 2015 to address the concerns over the situation and layout the timeline.  A 6-8 month recovery period is cited.

Aug 2015-Mar 2016        Joel Embiid’s recovery period.                 6-8 month recovery period begins.  Three weeks of hard cast followed by three weeks of supportive cast.  Team “ALL IN” on his recovery plan.

Nov 18, 2015                     Zydrunas Ilgauskas visits Embiid            Zydrunas Ilgauskas, an NBA veteran and survivor of a navicular bone graft surgery, begins series of visits with Joel Embiid during initial rehabilitation to the injured foot.  Ilgauskas brings a player perspective of someone who had been through it all to reassure a young Joel Embiid.

Jan 3, 2016                       Embiid spotted working out on court      Embiid took part in  agility drills after the Sixers’ shoot around at Santa Monica High School on Friday. Brown said that Embiid     also worked out on the sand of a beach.

Feb. 17, 2016                     Joel Embiid 1st visit Aspetar                     As a clinical segway  from recovery to proactive rehab, Embiid visits Qatar to attend rehab boot camp at Aspetar sports clinic.

March 2, 2016                   Embiid spotted shooting before game     Embiid was spotted shooting before the Philadelphia 7ers faced off against the Charlotte Hornets

March 19, 2016                 Embiid returns for 2nd Aspetar visit        Joel Embiid returns to Aspetar Clini in Qatar, this time he is accompanied by Dr. David T. Martin and other Sixers personnel.     Visit is slated for several weeks and perhaps up to a month.

So that is where we now stand. Seems like a long time for a foot injury, doesn’t it? Well, it’s not just any ole foot injury, and it’s not just anyone, but a potentially elite NBA star.

So what is really going on here?

Next: History of the Navicular Bone