Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid broke silence on not suiting up against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday.
Philadelphia 76ers superstar center Joel Embiid missed Wednesday's game against the Washington Wizards due to an illness.
However, the story seemingly goes much deeper than that.
On the day of the game versus the Wizards, Embiid posted twice to his X account after news broke from reporters that the seven-time All-Star was ruled out against Washington.
The first post read, "Must be APRIL FOOLS joke???? Played against Miami in the same conditions and I’m planning to play tonight!!! #SweatItOut"
He followed that up by writing, "I guess they won’t let me play basketball!!"
Embiid ultimately did not suit up to face the Wizards. He provided clarity on the situation after Friday's win against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
"I was pissed off," Embiid said. "I wanted to play basketball. I wasn't allowed to play basketball, so I think this is more of a question for Daryl Morey."
Luckily, the 76ers did not need Embiid's services to emerge victorious against the Wizards, as they won 153-131. Star forward Paul George led the charge with his best performance as a member of the Sixers, recording 39 points, six assists, five rebounds, and three steals on 68.2% shooting and 6 of 12 shooting from three-point range in 30 minutes.
Embiid was originally listed as doubtful for Friday's matchup before being upgraded to probable in the afternoon. He went through his pregame routine and was then upgraded once more to available.
His performance versus Minnesota was highlighted by his high level of effort on both ends of the floor. He tallied 19 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists, and three blocks on 6 of 17 shooting and 1 of 6 shooting from three-point range in 34 minutes.
When asked postgame if he'd play in the second night of the back-to-back against the Detroit Pistons, the 2023 MVP said, “There's a chance. I don't know. I guess these guys decide to let me play or not. So whatever they tell me, I guess I gotta follow.”
76ers-Pistons tips off at 7 PM ET on Saturday.
Join The 76ersRoundtable Community
Head over to the 76ersRoundtable page and hit the "Join" button under the featured story... it's completely FREE! You'll have the opportunity to engage with other 76ers fans who live and breathe the team, share your thoughts on the organization, and more. If you're asked to sign up or download the Roundtable app... that's free too.
Anthony Pasciolla is the publisher of 76ersRoundtable. He can be reached via email at ampasciolla@gmail.com or followed on X @AnthonyPasci.