Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid Needs Protective Gear

Feb 8, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) practices before a game against the San Antonio Spurs at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Philadelphia 76ers 7-foot-2 center Joel Embiid excels on both offense and defense. But fragility concerns dampen fanbase optimism. Similar to Allen Iverson, Joel Embiid needs innovative protective gear to sustain his superstar trajectory

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is the franchise player. On one hand, yes, the team has yet to hear from Ben Simmons. On the other hand, yes, the team has nearly a one in six chance of landing the top pick of the 2017 NBA Draft. And finally, yes, the team has Robert Covington, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, and even Dario Saric showing plenty of promise to outstanding NBA careers.

But in 31 games, Joel Embiid showed the Philadelphia 76ers fanbase that he was worth the wait. In his rookie season, he proved that he could hold his own, and even outplay, the NBA’s best big men. Ultimately, in 2017, he declared the Philadelphia 76ers a playoff team when wins were still very hard to come by.

But in the 2017-2018 season, Joel Embiid has one more task. He must prove to the fans, the organization, the NBA, the world, but most of all to himself, that he can withstand 82 games worth of brutal wear and tear on his body. That may be the greatest challenge of his NBA career.

Protective Gear

Even so, he doesn’t face that challenge alone. In fact, he now faces the same situation as former Philadelphia 76ers great Allen Iverson. As such, he has a window to change the shape of the NBA for the foreseeable future.

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Philadelphia 76ers to wrap their prize player up with the best NBA protective gear technology available.

And if it’s not available? The team needs to invest in developing the technology.

The trouble is the endorsement deals. Joel Embiid signed up with Adidas upon entering the NBA. As such, he will likely face some sort of “exclusivity” clause to only use Adidas products.

Would Adidas fight a legal battle to keep Joel Embiid competitor free? Most likely, yes.

Wiggins will earn $2 million per year over next 4 years from adidas. Embiid gets $1.5 million total over 4 years, Smart will get $1.2 total.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) July 16, 2014

Dr. Robert F McDavid Leads Field

Unfortunately, Adidas does not lead in NBA protective gear technology. That distinction goes to Dr. Robert F. McDavid, who has developed the HexPad.

Per the website:

"“The HexPad uses high-quality, lightweight, closed cell athletic foam padding. Its small, hexagonal pads allow for complete flexibility; they move with the athlete’s body, providing better coverage with less restrictions than traditional padding.”"

Right now, veterans of the NBA make use of protective gear. But they are the players who have already had a history of multiple injuries.

Joel Embiid, despite two years rehabbing his foot, does not have that pattern of bad knees. And so, he has the potential to change the culture by protecting his future rather than trying to preserve his history. In fact, that is exactly what 76ers Allen Iverson did in his tenure in the NBA.

Next: Philadelphia 76ers: Kyle Lowry Signing Would Be Distinctly Anti-Process

So this is a window of opportunity. Whether it’s a marketing ploy of the player and a manufacturer, or simply prudent business sense of the Philadelphia 76ers to protect the team’s most precious players,, the time is now.