Shannon Sharpe Breaks Down Why Joel Embiid Didn’t Look Like His MVP Self In 76ers’ Opener

The Philadelphia 76ers have got off to a good start in the 2025-2026 NBA season, edging out the Celtics 117-116 in their opener. They will be looking to go to 2-0 when they battle the Hornets this Saturday. However, they have reasons to worry, too.

Despite the win, Joel Embiid did not look very good. The 2023 MVP had just 4 points off 9 shots. He only played 20 minutes, and more or less stood by and watched as Tyrese Maxey and rookie V.J. Edgecombe dropped 74 points between them.

While the win is great, Sixers fans are most likely concerned about how beaten down Embiid looked. And they aren’t the only ones who think that.

NFL legend Shannon Sharpe did a segment on the latest episode of Nightcap about the 30-year-old center. Retired NBA star Joe Johnson set the stage by claiming that Embiid looked completely unlike himself in the opener.

“Embiid looks like he [is] laboring. I know he went 1-9, but he doesn’t look explosive anymore,” stated Johnson, who, of course, wasn’t exaggerating.

Embiid is coming off yet another knee injury, and it might have been one too many. That’s the stance Sharpe took on it as well.

“Joe, you know they can only go on your knees so many times, they can only go on your back so many times. And that’s a big man. Joe, you know, getting up and down that court trying to play those minutes,” stated the former Denver Broncos Tight End.

It wasn’t all trash talk on Embiid, though. Sharpe mentioned that the seven-time All-Star did look to be in good shape, but only because he went through rehab. He’s still not game-ready because he’s hardly had time to train.

“He rehabbed. You know, to be in shape, you got to train. Rehabbing just gets you back to where you were. Training takes you to the next level. He hasn’t been able to train. He’s been rehabbing,” said Sharpe.

Unc Shannon is right in saying that we shouldn’t judge Embiid right away. He may need some time to get back into the swing of things. Will he be as dominant as he was in 2022 or 2023? At present, he is far, far from it. But can he still contribute to the Sixers’ cause?

Philly fans are hoping so. The squad didn’t even qualify for the Play-In tournament last year. And with the East being a little bit more unpredictable, they could shock experts by finishing in the Top 6.

To do that, they’ll need their superstar center. And in the opening game, that talisman looked far from the dominant player he used to be.

About the author

Joseph Galizia

Joseph is a Las Vegas based actor and circus performer. For the last seven years he's had the pleasure of covering sports for multiple outlets, including the Lifestyles section of Sports Illustrated. In that time, he's conducted over 50 interviews with athletes, filmmakers, and company founders to further cement his footprint in the journalism world. He's excited to bring that skillset to the SportsRush, where he'll be covering the NBA news cycle.

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