Joel Embiid is celebrated for a lot of attributes that he brings to the table for the Philadelphia 76ers. But availability for games isn’t one of them. Dealing with a lingering knee injury, the 2024-25 season saw Embiid suit up for just 19 games.
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The ‘Process’ has had ongoing lower-body issues ever since he came into the league in 2014. Embiid’s NBA career began with him repairing a stress fracture in his right foot, which kept him out for the entire 2014-15 campaign.
Embiid injured his left knee for the first time in January 2017 when he fell on his knee, leading to swelling and soreness. Going through multiple surgeries and re-injuring the same spots on his body has taken a toll on the 31-year-old. One of the courses of action was to lose weight.
Listed at 280lbs, the weight is fine for the average 7-footer. But not Joel. Considering his injury history, his knees simply cannot take the burden this deep into his career. To reduce the load on his knees, it seems the center has undergone a drastic physical transformation.
“Legit looks good [in photos at least],” commented NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor on the visibly lean-looking Embiid’s photograph on X.
The pictures the 76ers shared on their social media page showed off the 2023 MVP looking the skinniest he’s probably ever been. “Embiid [is] looking skinny. I’m falling for it but willingly,” said a fan.
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 of 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 as far as recovery is concerned.
In Dotun Akintoye’s ESPN feature, Embiid had 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.” And the center 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. 76ers fans would be hoping that it’s going to be only up from here on for the All-NBA center.
