Joel Embiid hasn’t had the greatest fortune when it comes to availability for games. The 2024-25 season saw him suit up for a measly 19 games as he dealt with a lingering left knee injury. To combat the load on his knees, it seems as though he’s taken to a drastic physical transformation.
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The ‘Process’ has had ongoing lower extremities issues ever since he came into the league. His NBA career started with him repairing a stress fracture in his right foot which kept him out for the entirety of his rookie campaign in 2014-15.
One of the first times Embiid injured his left knee was back in January 2017 where he fell on his knee, leading to swelling and soreness. Missing his first two NBA seasons, going through multiple surgeries, and re-injuring the same spots on his body have taken a toll on the 31-year-old.
One of the only courses of action? Lose weight. Listed at 280lbs or so, this isn’t ideal for someone who has gone through so much. Is this weight fine for the average 7-footer? Absolutely. But not Joel as his knees simply cannot take the burden of all that muscle and/or fat this deep into his career.
“Legit looks good (in photos at least),” said NBA analyst, Kevin O’Conner. “Embiid looking skinny. I’m falling for it but willingly,” said another fan. To be fair, the pictures the 76ers shared to their social media showed off the 2023 MVP looking the skinniest he’s probably ever been.
Legit looks good (in photos at least) https://t.co/m3qmspPLcb
— Kevin O’Connor (@KevinOConnor) September 16, 2025
NBA insider Jake Fischer also reported a couple days ago that Joel was looking “slender, spry and in positive spirits”. He was also not wearing his knee brace which is a good sign in terms of his recovery progress.
In Dotun Akintoye’s highly praised ESPN feature, Embiid said. “I care about how I’m going to be remembered when it comes to basketball, but not as a man. As a man, you can’t tell me nothing.” It’s very evident that Embiid is trying his all to get back into shape and onto a basketball court.
His 2024-25 campaign saw him at his lowest. He put up averages of 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in about 30 minutes per game. He had a career low efficiency of 44.4% from the field so it’s safe to say it’s only up from here on out for the All-NBA center.
