Heart breaking news: just now the announcer of philadephia 76xers has announced another dangerous injury…
Joel Embiid should be ready to help the U.S. try to capture another gold medal in the 2024 Summer Olympics.
The Philadelphia 76ers superstar discussed his excitement to fight in Paris during a Friday appearance on NBA Countdown.
“I’m doing great. Just getting ready for the Olympics,” Embiid said (h/t Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press). “It’s going to be big for me because I’ve been dreaming about it since I was a kid.”
He missed over two months during the regular season due to a knee issue, which also hobbled him in the playoffs.
The 2023 MVP left with a meniscus injury during a Jan. 30 matchup with the Golden State Warriors, eventually needing surgery. Embiid finished the regular season with just 39 total games played, the lowest mark since his rookie season.
While he was able to return before the playoffs started, he was still affected by the knee issues throughout a first-round loss to the New York Knicks. He briefly left Game 1 of the series after collapsing to the ground in pain following a dunk, although he was eventually able to return in the second half.
However, it’s a positive sign that he seems to be recovering smoothly ahead of the Olympics. When healthy, he’s one of the best players on a U.S. squad that includes LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and Anthony Davis.
Prior to his knee issues, Embiid looked to be on the path to his second consecutive MVP award. While he didn’t play enough games to qualify for any awards, he ended with averages of 34.7 points and 11.0 rebounds per game on 52.9/38.8/88.3 shooting splits.
Embiid’s injury news wasn’t the only positive report for Team USA on Friday, as Indiana Pacers All-Star Tyrese Haliburton confirmed that his hamstring is “good” as he recovers from a regular-season injury of his own (per Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star).
