Stephen A. Smith Floats Retirement for Joel Embiid Amid Injury..
Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers have had a disappointing season. Arguments can be made they’ve underachieved more than any other NBA team based on preseason expectations. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the preseason projected over/under for wins for the 76ers was 49.5. While poor play can be attributed to their current 20-36 record, injuries to their best players will be highlighted when recapping the 2024-2025 season for the 76ers. While Paul George has missed 19 games this season, no one has missed more time than former NBA MVP, Joel Embiid. The 30-year old center has played just 19 games this season. Embiid has now played in 452 games in his career compared to the 404 he has missed due to injuries and various reasons. Many NBA fans and members of the media believe it’s time for the 76ers to shut Embiid down for the remainder of the season. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Embiid and the 76ers are considering surgery to repair his injured left knee. Another ESPN personality took his advice for Embiid onto live
television. Stephen A. Smith floated the idea of retirement for Embiid during First Take on Monday morning: Smith pointed to Embiid’s (lack of) mobility on the court and questioned if it’s time for Embiid to call it a career: “Embiid looks like he can barely move. His health is awful…If you’re Embiid, should you consider retiring? That’s how debilitated he looks.” While Embiid has missed considerable time this season, and in his career, it’s a shocking thing to hear as a real consideration during Embiid’s 30-year old season. Embiid is just one year removed from his seventh All-Star Game nomination (he didn’t play in that game either), as he was averaging a career-high 34.7
points per game. Embiid is also just two seasons removed from his NBA MVP award. Embiid’s season has also fallen short of personal expectations. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Embiid was the third favorite to win NBA MVP entering the season (+650), behind just Nikola Jokic (+400) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (+490). There’s no telling how the 76ers front office feels about their investment in Embiid as the cornerstone of their franchise today, but prior to this season they put their eggs in the Embiid basket. The 76ers signed Embiid to a three-year contract extension on Sep. 20, 2024 worth $193 million, including a player option in 2028-2029.
