NBA News: 76ers star Joel Embiid expresses frustration over missed games

The Philadelphia 76ers have struggled to kick off the NBA season, holding a disappointing 1-3 record. To make matters worse, star player Paul George is dealing with an injury, while Joel Embiid is still recovering from a knee injury he sustained last season.

Last year, Embiid suffered a knee injury against the Golden State Warriors that sidelined him for two months. Although he returned towards the end of the season, he wasn’t at his peak performance. As a result, the 76ers opted to prioritize a thorough recovery for Embiid this year.

Recently, Embiid spoke to the media about the challenges of being unable to play with the 76ers and revealed he’s getting closer to a return to the court.

“Extremely difficult. I think everybody that knows me knows that I would love to be out there every single game,” Embiid told reporters. “But it’s not for a lack of trying. It’s tough. Mentally, you can’t play, but still trying to get yourself mentally right to push. Everything is trending the right way.”

Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on during a timeout against the Milwaukee Bucks in the first half at the Wells Fargo Center. Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

Embiid responds to criticism

Amid his recovery, controversial rumors surfaced suggesting that Embiid was ready to play but chose not to for health reasons. The 2023 MVP addressed questions about his commitment to returning to action.

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“From what I can tell you…I have broken my face twice, I came back early with the risk of losing vision,” Embiid said. “When I see people saying, ‘He doesn’t want to play,’ I’ve done way too much for this city putting myself at risk for people to be saying that.”

Embiid hints at an upcoming return

While Embiid did not provide a specific timeline for his comeback, he indicated that he is getting closer to rejoining the team. “Just managing and trying to figure out the best approach, but I feel pretty good. I’ve started doing some live stuff and it feels pretty good, so I should be back pretty soon,” Embiid stated.

“You can have good days, you can have bad days, so I think it would be kind of foolish for me to sit there and be like, ‘I’m playing on Tuesday,’” he added. “I’m still getting back, obviously, into game shape. And I’m still getting back to myself.”