How Many Games Has Joel Embiid Missed? Diving Deeper Into the 76ers Star’s Struggles With Injuries

Josh Harris, the majority owner of the Philadelphia 76ers, once said, “He’s fought through a lot of injuries”, further adding “and became the MVP. So, he’s fighting right now, and we’re fighting.” After being sidelined for most of the games this season, the Philly team’s former MVP Joel Embiid returned to the courts on February 4, almost a month later, before finally ending another choppy run.

Joel’s injury issues have mostly kept him off the court. A post ideated by DraftKings on Jan 29 reveals that The Process has missed 400 games in his career! Since that date, the 76ers have played 7 games out of which he was supposed to appear in at least 4. But Embiid was present in only 2 of them, making a total of 405 missed games!

Over 9 seasons, Embiid has played in about 47% of the NBA games.

So, throughout his career, Joel Embiid has played 448 games with the Philadelphia 76ers in which he’s largely averaged 27.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists a night. Even though the 2024-25 season is in full swing, The Process has appeared only in 15 games, which makes it his lowest appearance count of any year. Yes, lesser games but he has averaged, 24.6 points, 8.1 boards, and 4.4 assists.

Joel Embiid’s previous seasons have seen him miss a majority of the games, with only 39 appearances in the last season. The 2021-22 season marks his highest attendance, playing 68 games with the 76ers. You’d remember, in ref to ‘the era’ he began with his team, he famously nicknamed himself ‘The Process’. You might’ve noticed we’ve called him the same thing a couple of times in this story itself! However, the former MVP’s time with the 76ers has been a hardcore rollercoaster, and it seems like his team trusts the process.

What were Joel Embiid’s past struggles with injuries?

Since Joel Embiid was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2014, his career has been plagued by injuries. Right off the bat, he missed two full seasons (2014-15 and 2015-16) because of a navicular bone stress fracture in his foot, requiring subsequent multiple surgeries to fix. When he finally got to hoop and made progress, his 2017 season was again cut short by a torn meniscus in his left knee.

This pattern of lower body injuries, particularly to his knees and feet, continued to trouble him throughout his career. In spite of all those issues, Joel Embid has managed to slightly outperform expectations. He earned multiple accolades in his first season, including the prestigious NBA All-Rookie First Team honors. But beyond these major setbacks, he has also dealt with a variety of injuries.

During his second season (on the court) with the Sixers, Joel suffered an orbital fracture in his left eye that needed surgery. Since then, he has experienced various knee issues, including bone bruises, soreness, and most recently, a lateral meniscus injury requiring surgery. He has also dealt with a concussion, a right thumb fracture, blurred vision, and even Bell’s Palsy, resulting in paralysis of his face. Even with all these issues hitting him one after another, his Philly team did not give up on him.

Joel Embiid’s road ahead with the Philadelphia 76ers

Joel Embiid has shown immense resilience on his part and played through pain and injuries like a champ. Even though he has missed half the games of his long career, the Sixers owner Josh Harris has instilled his faith in The Process and said, “I want him to get his body right and get on the court. If he gets back on the court, everything’s going to fall into place.”

And it’s not just the words, it reflected when the team offered him a 3-year maximum veteran ext worth almost $193 million! Despite his injuries, Joel Embiid’s talent is worth the risk I’d say. When he’s on the court, he’s one of the most exciting players to watch. For instance, in 2023, he recorded his career-high performance by exploding 70 points and 18 rebounds in a game against the Spurs!

Ultimately, the story of Joel Embiid’s career is one of both triumph and adversity. He’s a hoopster who has overcome significant challenges to achieve greatness. As he continues his career, the team faces a difficult balancing act of protecting his long-term health while maximizing his prime years. But one thing is clear, through thick and thin, he’s got the back of the Philadelphia 76ers.