Joel Embiid’s knee injury woes raise retirement rumours amid 76ers’ struggles: Here’s a fact check

ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith advised, “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.”

“The way I was playing a year ago is not the way I’m playing right now. It sucks,” Embiid even acknowledged earlier.

Interestingly, Shams Charania reported Embiid missed the entire fourth quarter of a recent game against the Brooklyn Nets. ESPN reported that the 76ers considering alternative options for his injured knee

He has played in only 19 games while missing 37, a worrying trend given his history of injuries. Over the course of his career, he has appeared in just 450 of a possible 860 games.

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Embiid absence was particularly notable during Saturday night’s game against the Nets. With the outcome in the balance, Keon Johnson missed a key three, but Nic Claxton tipped in the game-winner. But Embiid was on the bench the entire fourth quarter because Coach Nick Nurse decided to use Guerschon Yabusele at the centre instead.

So, is Joel Embiid retiring?

No, at least not at this time. Actually, a viral post from an X account, ‘NBA Centel,’ falsely claimed that Embiid was retiring. The account closely mimics the legitimate ‘NBA Central’ and frequently misleads users with deceptive posts. This time, it even tagged ‘SharmsCharania,’ another parody account, to spread misinformation.

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The Power Forward had signed a designated veteran extension that kicked in the 2023-2024 season, and was worth $213,280,928 over four years and fully guaranteed, according to Spotrac. He also signed a three-year, veteran max extension worth $192,907,008 that goes into effect in the 2026-2027 season and includes a player option for 2028-2029 prior to the 2024 season. Should he choose that option, he would be a free agent before the 2029-2030 season.