Featuring in his first game since February 22, Joel Embiid recorded 14 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists during the Philadelphia 76ers' preseason finale against the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, most importantly -- an area that, as supporters, we choose to neglect -- the NBA's 2023 Most Valuable Player told reporters during his postgame interview that he is feeling happy to be back on the court after a mentally-challenging previous campaign.
In a clip posted by the PHLY Sixers on X, Embiid stated, "I'm just in a good place mentally, physically. I'm just happy to touch a basketball, and be able to play basketball and do what I love."
Fellow Sixers teammate Tyrese Maxey echoed this statement during his postgame locker room interview. "I think the biggest thing I felt was his joy." Maxey continued by saying, "How happy he was to be out there, and [how] happy I was for him to be out there."
Embiid endured a year to forget
To say the 2024-25 season came with a few challenges for Embiid would be the understatement of the century. After aiding Team USA on their quest to attain the Gold Medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the 31-year-old returned to the 76ers training camp with a persistent left knee injury that would restrict his availability to his employers for a large majority of the year.
In addition, Embiid was involved in a heated altercation with The Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes, which resulted in the Sixers' superstar shoving Hayes due to an untasteful article he wrote about Embiid's late brother -- the NBA suspended him for three games as a result.
Later in the year, Dotun Akintoye, writer for ESPN, released a captivating article revealing the mental struggles and barriers that Joel Embiid has had to overcome in recent times. Most notably, that of his brother Arthur's tragic death during his rookie season, and how on the day of this awful incident, he had ignored a series of calls on his phone.
Joyful Embiid should remind fans what basketball is really about
It is easy for a franchise desperate to win a championship, a player who wants to etch their name in the history books, and fans who pay a percentage of their wage to witness their favorite team be successful, to forget that basketball is more than scribing another number in the win column.
Basketball was created as an escapism from the political issues and real-life problems that people face in their day-to-day lives. Given their astronomical pay packet, sometimes as a society, we do not realize that athletes -- in any sport -- face their own challenges too.
Watching Embiid drain buckets with a smile on his face should bring joy to any supporter around the league. Clips have emerged in recent days of the Kansas graduate laughing hysterically as the sophomore Adem Bona's car was filled with popcorn due to an inability to follow instructions.
There is no doubt that being Eastern Conference title challengers will be at the forefront of every Philadelphia 76ers staff member's thinking regarding the upcoming campaign. Nevertheless, there must be more to basketball than just success, and Joel Embiid's return to happiness is a shining example of this.