In his first public comments since the start of the 2024-25 regular season, Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid addressed those who questioned his absence from games this season due to what the team calls “left knee injury management.”

“When I see people saying, ‘He doesn’t want to play,’ … I’ve done way too much for this city, putting myself in danger for people to say that. So I really think it’s b——-,” Embiid said, referencing a recent Philadelphia Inquirer column calling for fans to receive refunds if Embiid doesn’t play.

“…I’ve done way too much to let this damn city be treated like this.”

Embiid cited examples from recent seasons of playing in pain despite the risk of re-injury, including multiple facial fractures, knee ailments and broken fingers.

‘I did it. As far as I can tell you, I broke my face twice, I came back before at risk of losing my vision, I had broken fingers (and) and I still came back,” Embiid said.

“I wish I were as lucky as others,” he said later. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t do whatever it takes to be there, which will happen pretty soon.”

Sixers focuses Joel Embiid on whether there was a moment that led to him deciding to close things down after the Olympics. He also talked about the criticism he received for not playing. pic.twitter.com/eGezZOVoQF

— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) November 1, 2024

Embiid, 30, has missed 372 regular-season games, including four so far this season, and eight playoff games since the 76ers drafted him third overall in 2014. Last season, Embiid missed 43 games with a torn meniscus in his left hand. knee before returning just before the playoffs. He also played in the postseason with Bell’s palsy, a condition that weakened the muscles on the left side of his face.

Although Embiid played for Team USA in the Olympics in August, he has not yet played this NBA season. While Embiid said “everyone” was on the same page with the plan to rehabilitate his left knee, coach Nick Nurse and Sixers brass have been vague about what exactly is happening behind the scenes with Embiid and why his return has taken so long. The term “ramp-up” has been thrown around a lot, but before Friday there was little clarity on how long that period is and where Embiid is in the process.

“I think mentally I’m just working on getting that confidence back,” Embiid told the media on Friday. “It used to be easy. But for some reason this is like mentally trusting yourself and your body. And I think that’s really what I do.”

The NBA fined Philadelphia $100,000 on Tuesday for misrepresenting why Embiid is not playing in response to comments from president of basketball operations Daryl Morey and Nurse. This came after Embiid and big free-agent acquisition Paul George missed their season opener at home against the Milwaukee Bucks, which was on ESPN.

The league’s investigation found that the “left knee injury management” designation for Embiid’s injury was accurate, no new injury occurred and his knee was still unstable enough last week to warrant being out. However, Morey’s comments in an ESPN interview in which he said getting Embiid healthy for the playoffs was the priority contributed to the fine, league sources said. The Athletics earlier this week.

On Friday, Embiid fully participated in practice for the first time this season, including 5-on-5 scrimmage. He was ruled out of Saturday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies, but is set to return to action.

“I listen to them, they listen to me and (we) see how everything reacts,” Embiid said. “It went quite well. Going back and forth five-on-five and today was a great session with the whole team.”

In eight NBA seasons, Embiid is averaging 27.9 points, 11.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 433 regular season games.

George, who has missed all four regular-season games this season after a preseason knee injury, was also a full participant in Friday’s practice but was ruled out of Saturday’s game.

The 76ers have opened 1-3 without Embiid and George, despite guard Tyrese Maxey averaging 31.5 points in 42 minutes per game. Philadelphia’s supporting cast has shot poorly, with the team converting just 27.7 percent from behind the arc heading into Saturday’s game against Memphis.

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(Photo: Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)