CAMDEN, NJ — Joel Embiid's health has been a major question mark for the Philadelphia 76ers in recent seasons, and with LeBron James now in the fold, it could ultimately determine whether the franchise can fulfill its championship aspirations.
As the 7-foot center enters his 13th overall season in Philadelphia, Embiid gave a health update to reporters at the team's media day.
"I'm feeling pretty good," Embiid said at The Penn Medicine Philadelphia 76ers Training Complex on Monday.
Embiid noted that there's a plan in place for him to try to keep healthy to "play as much as possible" and be at his "best" for the postseason.
"Going into the year, I want to play as much
as possible," he said. "We got a plan. We're going to execute it to make sure I stay healthy and then be at my best when we get to that time. So whatever way we get there, we're going to execute it."
Embiid enters training camp looking noticeably leaner than he has in recent seasons. The work Embiid put in during the offseason has not gone unnoticed, including by James, the 76ers' marquee offseason addition.
"Joel is one of the most talented guys that we have in the world, and obviously we all know that for him it's just been about health. How can he stay healthy to be the best version of himself? Be the best version of himself to be the best version of us as a team?" James said on Monday.
"I've seen him put in a lot of work on his body, putting a lot of work in his game, a lot of work on his mental season. That is a big upside, not only for us as his teammates, but I guarantee it is for him. I don't want to speak for him. You guys have talked to him, but I guarantee that's a good feeling for him."
Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid has dropped a considerable amount of weight. pic.twitter.com/Of1rI0aZS6
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) September 28, 2026
Joel Embiid injury history
Embiid has struggled to stay in the Sixers' lineup in recent seasons due to his health. He's combined to play 96 regular-season games over the last three seasons and has not played more than 40 games since his MVP season in 2022-23.
Last season, Embiid underwent an emergency appendectomy on April 9 that kept him out for the Sixers' final two regular-season games, their play-in game against the Orlando Magic and the first three games of their first-round series against the Boston Celtics.
He'd additionally miss Game 2 of the Sixers' second-round seriesagainst the New York Knicks due to multiple injuries to his hip and ankle.
The Sixers center appeared in just 19 games during the 2024-25 season after the team deemed him medically unable to play because of persistent knee issues. Those problems stemmed from a torn meniscus in his left knee suffered the previous season, an injury that required surgery and sidelined him until late in the regular season.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Joel Embiid health update: 76ers center 'feeling pretty good' entering season
