Philadelphia 76ers and new NBA All-Star Joel Embiid perseveres
By Bret Stuter
After years of ridicule, torment, surgeries, rehab, and starting a new life in a new land, the NBA All-Star designation rests comfortably upon Philadelphia 76ers Joel Embiid. He has done more than arrive, he has persevered
This is more than a story about the Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid. The story of one Joel Hans Embiid is not one of a legacy of basketball players. In fact, basketball came late to Joel Embiid. He grew up in Yaounde’, Cameron, a nation big on soccer and volleyball, but not so much on basketball. In fact, the young man displayed a surprising interest in basketball. That passion led to the subsequent “discovery” by NBA player and fellow countryman Luc Mbah A Moute at the age of 15.
Joel Embiid moved to the United States at the age of 16, in 2010, to pursue a dream of playing basketball. It seems like a short time to emerge from a teenager’s dream to NBA All-Star, but there is far more to this tale.
From KU to OR to “Oh No! Back to OR!”
He played one season for the Kansas University Jayhawks, emerging from nowhere to become one of the nation’s most discussed NBA prospects leading into the 2014 NBA Draft. But trouble rose from a series of injures. Stress fractures in his back, and the infamous Navicular bone, became a huge news story as the draft approached. He had surgery to correct his foot, and the belief was that his foot would need a full year to heal.
The Cleveland Cavaliers passed on him in that 2014 NBA draft, instead selecting Andrew Wiggins. The next team passed as well, as the Milwaukee Bucks instead chose Jabari Parker. The meant the NBA career of Joel Embiid would fall to the Philadelphia 76ers, and team president Sam Hinkie. A year later, the worst news broke. Joel Embiid’s foot, a year after his original surgery, needed surgery once more.
We are family!
And so, the Philadelphia 76ers and Joel Embiid, just four years after coming to the USA, became family with the third pick of the 2014 NBA Draft. But unlike many sports teams and player relationships, the fans of the Philadelphia 76ers embraced everything about Joel Embiid. From the promise of a bright future, to the fears and uncertainties of two surgeries on the same foot.
Meanwhile the remainder of the NBA fan bases used the bad news to heap unwarranted vitriol and ridicule towards the Philadelphia 76ers and the fans, the Sixers organization and fans demonstrated incredible love and patience towards the young Cameroon.
Enter Sixer Sense
My first article featured Joel Embiid’s confrontation by TMZ while awaiting news on his foot. I didn’t know the full story at the time. Still, I understood the young man was facing uncertainty on a feature he had little control over. Shortly afterwards, the news of the Papal visit to the United States prompted a hope that Pope Francis might bless the foot of Joel Embiid. It may seem whimsical now, but a two year wait for an NBA prospect can elevate ones openness to options.
And that wait led me to feature the entire medical case history in The Anatomy of Joel Embiid. The article discusses the timeline of Embiid’s health, and places some background on the medical condition. But as the news of Joel Embiid’s health turned positive, the fans were faced with more uncertainty. What if he doesn’t deliver? Or conversely, what if Joel Embiid is better than expected? Could Joel Embiid be a keystone player for the Philadelphia 76ers?
Philadelphia 76ers all in on Joel Embiid
There was never any doubt in the minds of the Philadelphia 76ers front office. As other NBA teams dealt with the here and now, the Philadelphia 76ers invested heavily into the young man. Not just two years of waiting, but the investment of the nation’s top medical expertise, as well as two trips to Aspetar Clinic to spearhead his rehabilitation. As the 2016-2017 season approached, fans were thrilled to receive videos of an improving Joel Embiid practicing in the gym.
But each new video and hope for the fans continued to attract unthinkable trolling and vitriol from social media by persons who simply enjoyed trolling. As Sixers fans relished the three-point shooting from a 7-foot-2 center, some unnamed twitter account bombarded those hopes with “How many NBA games have you played?”.
2016-2017 season
Joel Embiid did play in the 2016-2017 season. Or at least part of it. After 31 games, a knee injury forced him to the bench. Just 31 games, but in that short span he averaged 20.2 points, 2.1 assists, 2.5 blocks and 7.8 rebounds per game, all within a short 25.4 minutes per game. While the impact was sensational, he fell short of NBA Rookie of the Year because he only played in 31 games.
In fact, the performance is incredible given the fact that the young man arrived in 2010. He played less than 30 games for Kansas, and did not play a game for the 76ers prior to the 2016-2017 season. He production with so little basketball background is nothing short of miraculous. Still, the NBA has its threshholds, and once more, the dreams of center Joel Embiid fell to the wayside.
2017-2018 All Star season
Enter the 2017-2018 season for center Joel Embiid. All this time, head coach Brett Brown and the fans have walked alongside the grand giant. With every step, each turn, each hope and each challenge, the fans have offered as much love and support to Joel Embiid as he could take. And for what result?
Next: The best center in the East
At just 32 games this year (63 games total), Joel Embiid averages 23.9 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.5 assist and 1.9 blocks per game on an average of 31.4 minutes. He is scoring at 48.7 percent from the floor, and 80 percent from the free throw line. But above all, he is a significant presence on both the offensive and defensive sides of the basketball court. And he is leading these Philadelphia 76ers at a pace to place them into the NBA playoffs. Joel Embiid has become the ultimate test for the Philadelphia 76ers. And now, in earning an NBA All-Star starting role, he has proven that faith in him was placed wisely. In one announcement, the NBA has validated the city of Philadelphia. In the end, the Philadelphia 76ers, and most of all Joel Embiid, have persevered.