With the uncertainty clouding the Philadelphia 76ers, it’s easy for us to forget the human aspect of sports. ESPN's Dotun Akintoye's profile on Joel Embiid was the strongest, most emotional reminder fans could ever receive. Embiid opened up in a way he never has before, giving us such a vulnerable, stunning introspective on his nine-year career. I highly encourage you to read it, but in the meantime, here are the most notable 76ers-centric takeaways:
Embiid spoke about his injury recovery
Embiid gave somewhat of an update on his recovery from the arthroscopic procedure he had on his left knee in April. He told Akintoya that he’s “not going to push anything” when it comes to a potential return date. “For my whole career, I felt like we never took that approach,” Embiid said. What’s more, he’s absolutely right. For every unprecedented injury Embiid sustained, he has always done everything in his power to return – even if he needed an extended rehabilitation.
You can cite last season as a prime example of this. In the 19 games Embiid played, he looked far from the elite talent Philadelphia has grown to love. It was obvious his body couldn’t sustain the grind of an 82-game season and he needed to be shut down. Embiid admitted to Akintoya that when he told Lisa Salters he may need another procedure in February, that it was a cry for help.
When Akintoya asked Embiid how he thinks the 76ers brass will feel about his patient approach towards returning for the 2025-26 season, he replied "I don't know how they feel,” Embiid said. “The only thing I'd say is -- this is a business," Embiid tells me. "It's all about the results... If I come back early enough and I'm still not myself, guess what? You're not winning any games.”
Embiid found out who leaked the infamous team meeting
Amongst other heavy topics, Embiid and Akintoya reopened old wounds that still bother him and 76ers fans alike to this day. After losing nine of its first 11 games last season, Philadelphia had a disclosed team meeting in the hope of getting back on track. Shockingly, someone present in the conversation leaked details to the media – including Tyrese Maxey challenging various aspects of Embiid’s presence. Amidst the frustration, Embiid stated that he’ll find out who spilled it.
Fast forward to the present, he told Akintoya that he knows who spilled the beans, but will let the past be the past: “The one thing I'll say is, it's hard being around people that do those sorts of stuff,” Embiid said. “That goes back to the trust thing. Once you cross that – you can't expect me to be part of a team meeting again. That's just not going to happen.”
Joel Embiid gave an update on the leaked locker room meeting from November: pic.twitter.com/FVEYyZepKp
— Jacob Moreno (@jmoreno76ers) July 16, 2025
When Akintoya asked if the leaker was still with the 76ers, Embiid, in a light-hearted manner, said they’re in the middle of free agency and he doesn’t know what’s going on. Akintoya followed up by inquiring if this person will be around next season and Embiid said there is a chance that they will be. Before you ask, no, I’m not going to guess who gossiped about the details of this meeting.
Embiid and Harden aren't on speaking terms
Philadelphia has had more than its fair share of tension between players with the latest public example being the feud between James Harden and Daryl Morey. You could argue that its best shot to win a title was during the 2022-23 season where Harden and Embiid were the most fearsome offensive duo in the league. Unfortunately, as a result of Harden’s fallout with the 76ers, his relationship with Embiid essentially came to an end.
“No one knows this, but even James [Harden] is not talking to me,” Embiid said. “That's the part I don't like about being ‘that guy,’ because it puts you in the middle of those situations. Because if you ask James, he probably believes I had something to do with him not being here. And I'm just like, ‘I won the scoring title. You won the assists title. We had a pick-and-roll that was unstoppable.’”
At the end of the day, this profile serves as a reminder that we never know what an athlete is going through. So, it’s never okay to criticize a player by calling them “soft” or “lazy” since we are on the outside looking in. Again, please take the time to read Akinotya's thoughtful story on Embiid, it's well worth your time.