Joel Embiid's Historic Climb: Seventh All-Time in Sixers Scoring

Sixers star center Joel Embiid continues to climb up the all-time ranks, passing Red Kerr to advance on the franchise scoring list. In the thrilling win over the Nuggets, Embiid scored 41 points to place him seventh all-time in points in Sixers history with 11,735. Considering Embiid’s injury history and durability throughout his career, this is an impressive feat.

What makes this accomplishment even more special and impressive is the fact that Embiid accomplished this feat in just 423 games, compared to 834 from Red Kerr. As it currently stands, he is averaging the most points per game in Sixers history (27.7) just ahead of Allen Iverson and Wilt Chamberlain, which shows his dominance on the offensive end every time he takes the court.

 At the age of 29, Embiid has the opportunity to make his way up the ranks before it is all said and done. Ahead of him on the all-time Sixers scoring list are Billy Cunningham, Charles Barkley, Julius Erving, Dolph Schayes, Allen Iverson, and Hal Greer. Having spent his whole career with the Sixers, Greer compiled a total of 21,586 points, which puts him at 40th all-time.

 It will be a tall order for Embiid to reach Greer given his age and injury history, but it is within reach as he plays in an offensively-focused league where scoring is at the forefront more than ever.

In the 2023-24 season, offenses are averaging a total of 115.6 points per game. This number is up 14.4% percent from 2013 (101.0) and 23.7% from 2003 (93.4). If Embiid were to hover around his yearly average of 2,000 points per season, it would take him approximately five more full seasons (give or take) to capture the Sixers scoring title crown. It is worth noting that Embiid is locked in with the Sixers until the 2026-2027 season and it remains to be seen if the team extends him beyond that year (or if he makes it that long with the team) 

As it currently stands today, Embiid is just 1,891 points behind Billy Cunningham and 2,449 points behind Charles Barkley for sixth and fifth place respectively.

While it is doubtful that he will pass any of them this season, it is a strong possibility that he will do so in the 2024-2025 season. Ahead of Cunningham and Barkley and below Greer, we have Allen Iverson, Dolph Schayes, and Julius Erving, all of whom have over 18,000 points with the franchise. If Embiid can pass these legends, it is a huge possibility he will capture the Sixers' record. 

While Embiid’s statistics and individual accolades are impressive, at this point in his career he would likely trade these accolades for a championship. His career has been overshadowed by the Sixers' inability to win a championship or even advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. Having already established himself as one of the best players in franchise history, Joel Embiid’s legacy will be further solidified if he can lead the team to a championship.