The Philadelphia 76ers‘ horrendous season mercifully came to an end on Sunday, April 13. The Sixers went out with a whimper. They closed their 2024-25 campaign with a 102-122 loss to the Chicago Bulls.
A significant part of the Sixers’ struggles this season has been due to injuries. Joel Embiid had been the most notable absentee throughout the year, suiting up just 19 times.
When speaking to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps for a recent interview, Tyrese Maxey explained how difficult its been to see Embiid struggle throughout the year.
“It sucked,” Maxey said. “It really did suck, man, because at the end of the day, Joe is somebody who really wants to be out there. So to see him suffer, to see him go out there and actually try and he just couldn’t be himself … you could tell. You’d give him the ball sometimes, and me being here the longest, I’ve seen him do so many spectacular things and I gave him the ball a couple of times in moments where I think that he’ll do something and I guess he just couldn’t, he was limited.”
Maxey continued.
“So hopefully that surgery went well and all that and he gets back to the Joel Embiid that we know and love. And, honestly, I hope it does for him because it’ll make him feel a lot better.”
Paul George and Maxey have also missed considerable time due to their respective injury issues. However, Embiid is Philadelphia’s star player. Without the dominant big man in the rotation, the Sixers’ chances of any legitimate success were immediately diminished.
Sixers Confirm Embiid has Had Successful Surgery
According to an update from the Sixers PR department, Embiid underwent successful surgery on Friday, April 11.
“Joel Embiid underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on Wednesday,” The Sixers reported. “The procedure was performed at NYU Langone Sports Medicine Center by Dr. Jonathan L. Glashow. Embiid will be re-evaluated in approximately six weeks.”
Embiid’s surgery is early enough in the year that, hopefully, he will be able to get a full off-season under his belt. If he can get in shape, stay healthy, and produce at a near-MVP level, the Sixers will undoubtedly experience a rapid turnaround in fortunes.
Sixers and Embiid Previously Clashed Over Injury
During an April 3 episode of NBA Today, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Embiid and the Sixers organization had been at odds on how to deal with his knee issues.
“There was some tension there between Joel Embiid and that front office, from my understanding,” Charania said. “The team believed he needed to play at some points of the season, that he needed to get his conditioning right through playing and getting better that way. He felt like he needed surgery. He ends up getting the surgery.”
Whatever those disagreements were, it would appear Embiid and the Sixers agreed on surgery. Now, Embiid can begin the recovery process in the hope of finally being pain-free. The Sixers are built around Embiid’s elite skill set. Without him, everything Philadelphia is trying to do is ten times harder.
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