Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
When Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid was sidelined for his team’s game against the Denver Nuggets on Jan. 27 due to knee soreness, many folks accused the big man of ducking what had been a highly anticipated matchup against Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic.
Embiid ultimately missed Philly’s Jan. 29 game against the Portland Trail Blazers as well before trying to return to action against the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 30.
The reigning MVP was able to start against Golden State, but he wasn’t able to finish, leaving the game with a knee injury. Now, it’s known that he is dealing with a meniscus issue.
On Friday, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James expressed his thoughts on the matter, calling out those who were wrong about the nature of Embiid’s injury.
Seemingly as a response, ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins — who was briefly teammates with James on the Cleveland Cavaliers — took to X and shared a message, which has since been deleted.
Embiid has been phenomenal this season, but he has already missed 13 games, putting his MVP candidacy at risk. In most cases, players need to appear in at least 65 games in order to be MVP-eligible.
In 34 games this season, Embiid has averaged 35.3 points, 11.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists per contest while shooting 53.3 percent from the field and 36.6 percent from beyond the arc. His play has helped the 76ers stay afloat in the Eastern Conference, as Philly currently owns the No. 5 spot with a 30-17 record.
It remains to be seen how long Embiid will be sidelined with his meniscus issue, but if he’s out for an extended period, his MVP hopes and Philadelphia’s title chances will both be damaged. The NBA world is certainly hoping for the best, as it’s bad for the sport when a player like Embiid is on the shelf.
The 76ers will be in action on Saturday for a matchup against the Brooklyn Nets. Philly picked up a win in its last game but has lost four of its last five overall, so the squad is looking to build some momentum amid a rocky part of its season.
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