Philadelphia 76ers All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey shared an encouraging update on Joel Embiid's mindset at All-Star Weekend.
The career of Philadelphia 76ers superstar center Joel Embiid has been far from easy.
Going from missing his first two NBA seasons due to injury to winning MVP in 2023 and back to suffering from serious injuries, it's safe to say Embiid's journey in the league has been a rollercoaster of emotions.
Embiid is finally looking like himself again on the floor in recent months. He is averaging 29.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.5 assists on 53.5% shooting in 17 games played in 2026.
This level of play has clearly translated to a level of positive emotions for Embiid, as 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey opened up on seeing the seven-time All-Star "happy again."
"I'm just happy to see him happy again and playing and having fun. It was tough for him last year, man. When he did get on the court, I don't think he was having joy," Maxey said at All-Star Weekend. "He wasn't having fun, you know. Injuries do that to you."
Embiid appeared in just 19 games during the 2024-2025 campaign, recording his lowest points per game (23.8) since 2018. He was struggling with a knee injury during that year.
Maxey continued, "He has a good group of guys around him now that you know we make him laugh every single day... I'm just happy to see him happy as a friend and as a brother. Joel has had confidence in me from day one, so I'm always going to have Joel's back in any given moment."
Maxey is in the midst of the best season of his NBA career, averaging 28.9 points and 6.8 assists on 46.9% shooting in 52 appearances. He and Embiid are widely regarded as one of the NBA's top duos when healthy.
It's clear Maxey and Embiid have developed a close relationship over their six seasons as teammates, which is obvious on and off the court.
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