“Kind of reminds me of myself”- Joel Embiid praises VJ Edgecombe, says rookie’s journey reminds him of his own | NBA News
The Philadelphia 76ers held a media day on Friday morning to formally begin the 2025–26 season. Joel Embiid got things started by talking about a variety of subjects as he gets ready to get back to his best. Embiid, the constantly injured All-Star center, stated that there is a “plan in place” to play after knee surgery in April, but he did not elaborate on when he will return to the Philadelphia 76ers lineup. Paul George also spoke in general terms about when the All-Stars could return for the 76ers after missing a significant portion of the previous season due to injuries, and perhaps even the beginning of this one.
Embiid praises sixers star VJ Edgecombe , sees himself in the young guard
Several players within the Sixers have lauded Edgecombe since he joined the team earlier this summer. Embiid is one of the most recent to comment on the extremely athletic guard. Embiid had nothing but good things to say about Edgecombe when asked about him. The former MVP believes there are some similarities between them based on their individual paths to the NBA.Embiid said:“Oh I like him a lot.. I’ve talked to him a lot and you know, as soon as we drafted him, I just knew I would like him. I like his background, it kind of reminds me of myself. Coming from another country, having a lot of hardships growing up. He’s an amazing kid so far.”He continued:“I like him a lot. Obviously, I’ve talked to him a lot. Even before, even as soon as we drafted him, I just knew I would like him. I like his background. Kind of reminds me of myself coming from another country and having a lot of hardships growing up. And he’s an amazing kid so far…”Additionally, while talking about his performance, Embiid said:“The goal is to play consistently,” After a season marred by injuries that saw him play in just 19 games, two-time NBA scoring champion Embiid underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in April. He averaged 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists before being declared out for the season in late February.“I’ve had so many injuries,” Embiid said. “The only thing I’ve always told myself is you can’t give up.”Since winning NBA MVP in the 2022–2023 season, Embiid has only participated in 58 regular-season games and seven Play-In Tournament/playoff games.“I want to play. I want to play every single game,” Embiid said. “I’ve been pretty unlucky when it comes to that compared to most NBA players.”
Joel Embiid gives update on knee recovery ahead of Sixers’ Abu Dhabi showcase
Next week in Abu Dhabi, the 76ers will play the Knicks in an international showcase to kick off their preseason early. This included Joel Embiid speaking to the media for the first time in months following a season marred by injuries in 2024-25.From the beginning of the season, Embiid suffered a persistent knee injury that limited his playing time for Philadelphia to just 19. During those games, he frequently appeared limp, and in April, he had surgery on his left knee. He provided reporters with a hazy update on his recuperation situation on Friday.
Embiid said:“I feel pretty good.. I think we’ve made a lot of progress over the last couple of months. We’ve got a plan in place, trying to check all the boxes, just taking it day-by-day… Everything is on schedule…”The 76ers are already having problems with injuries all across the roster, much like they had the previous season. In addition to Embiid’s gradual recovery from knee surgery, second-year guard Jared McCain tore his ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb on Thursday, September 25, and big Paul George had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.Also read: Philadelphia 76ers rookie VJ Edgecombe meets NBA legend Dwyane Wade in surreal full-circle moment at Aramis event
