Lebron James held concerns about Joel Embiid's health before ultimately deciding to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Year in and year out NBA players are susceptible to injury. That’s just the nature of the beast. Some players are more prone to injury than others. One player who has a very close relationship with the injury report is Philadelphia 76ers star center Joel Embiid.
A new member of the 76ers has his own concerns with Embiid’s injury history. That player is none other than LeBron James. According to Ramona Shelburne, James values Embiid's basketball IQ and talent but was wary of the All-Star’s durability.
Let’s be honest, he has every right to feel some concern. Embiid entered the league with injury problems that forced him to miss his rookie and sophomore seasons.
Over the last two years, Embiid has played in only 57 regular season games. That’s only roughly one-third of the games, which is less than James missed in his last year with the Los Angeles Lakers. The two gold medalists shared the court overseas during the Olympics but haven't had that pleasure in the NBA beyond the All-Star game.
Embiid’s knees are a concern, and it’s going to be really hard to see him being able to play in back-to-back games. The other big concern is how he misses key games against other star centers. He hasn’t played against Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic since January 16, 2024. Now, these aren't accusations of him avoiding these matchups; it’s just extremely unfortunate that he always has an injury when it’s time to play one of the best centers in the association.
James could be feeling a little déjà vu considering he played with another All-Star big who had a hard time staying on the floor in Anthony Davis. While his impact would be missed when he’s out, the Sixers have a better supporting cast than the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers had hardly any scorers, which made it harder for James to loosen the reins. With Philadelphia adding Jaylen Brown, it gives the team more flexibility in creating mismatches.
Not only that, but coupled with the additions of Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, it allows for better playmaking and easier baskets.
Without Embiid regularly in the mix, the team still managed to make the playoffs last season, and that’s potentially what allowed James to feel at ease about coming to the City of Brotherly Love.
This team is more equipped than ever before to win without Embiid, and the roster structure will allow the team to be a force no matter who takes to the floor.
