In the season opener for the Philadelphia 76ers, Joel Embiid is looking to bounce back from an injury-shortened 2024-25 season, and there are concerns that the former MVP doesn’t have much in the tank. After an injury-riddled career, the wear on his body adds up, and it’s not clear if he will ever be the same player who eviscerated opposing defenses.
During a sequence against Philly’s season opener against the Boston Celtics, the big man shuffled through various sequences with little to no elevation. These clips quickly spread through social media, with one Instagram caption pointing out, “So… Joel Embiid is not jumping at ALL anymore… Are his knees cooked?”
Embiid, who didn’t even participate in the jump ball, looked pedestrian compared to his previous MVP-level dominance, his explosiveness and ability to bully defenses grounded – literally. Though an athletic marvel for his size, the injuries that limited him to just 19 games last year seem to have finally taken their toll on him.
