Joel Embiid went on an explicit rant over accusations of him not wanting to play after being ruled out of Philadelphia’s game against Memphis on Saturday.
The 2023 NBA MVP has missed the first four games for the 76ers while tending to a left knee injury. The severity of the injury remains undisclosed, leading fans to question his willingness to get on the court.
After participating in full-court scrimmages on Friday, Embiid clapped back at fans spreading the narrative.
‘When I see people say ‘he does not wanna play,’ I’ve done way too much for this city, putting myself at risk for people to be saying that. I do think this is bulls***.’
‘I’ve done way too much for this f***ing city to be treated like this. Done way too f***ing much. I wish I was as lucky as the other ones, but that does not mean I’m not doing whatever it takes to be out there, which I’m gonna be.’
76ers star Joel Embiid went on an explicit rant about fans accusing him of not wanting to play
‘It’s been about everybody being on the same page,’ Embiid claimed. ‘Your body tells you one thing… and I’ve done it.
‘From what I can tell you, I have broken my face twice, I came back early with the risk of losing my vision. Had broken fingers, I still came back.’
Embiid has not played valuable basketball since helping Team USA win gold in the Paris Olympics.
Suspicions about his absence led the NBA to fine the 76ers $100,000 on Tuesday. The charge came after team president Daryl Morey and head coach Nick Nurse made inconsistent public statements about Embiid’s health.
However, it was later reported that they did not break the player participation policy.
Besides Embiid, newly acquired star Paul George is also out with a knee injury after a hyperextension during the preseason.
Philadelphia will head into Saturday’s game with a 1-3 record against the 3-3 Grizzlies.
