Joel Embiid will undergo surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee, the 76ers announced Sunday.
The team hasn’t announced when the NBA superstar will return, but ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Embiid is expected to return. expected to be absent “Long term”.
NBA officials also said the following. “The door is not closed for Embiid to return this season.”
“Joel Embiid will undergo corrective surgery this week to address a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee. Updates will be provided as the procedure progresses,” the team’s statement reads.
The news comes after it was revealed over the weekend that he was diagnosed with a displaced meniscus in his left knee, and the 76ers confirmed late last week that he was dealing with a knee issue.
The injury occurred in the fourth quarter of Tuesday night’s loss to the Warriors when Jonathan Kuminga went for a loose ball and was struck by Embiid’s left leg.
Embiid had just returned to the court after missing games against the Trail Blazers and Nuggets due to knee pain.
The 76ers are in fifth place in the East with a record of 30 wins and 18 losses, one game behind the Knicks.
This issue would seriously derail what was already a career scoring season for him.
Embiid averaged an NBA-best 35.3 points while also dishing out 11.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.8 blocks per game.
He shot 53.3 percent from the field and 36.6 percent from 3-point range.
The injury will affect who wins this season’s NBA MVP award, with Embiid in danger of not being eligible for the award this year.
New rules introduced by the NBA require players to play at least 65 games.
Embiid has missed 14 games this season and only had three more to miss to remain eligible for the award.
The current MVP is one of the favorites to win this year, and this is the second consecutive year he has won the award.
