Snubbed: Joel Embiid not selected as a 2026 All-Star Reserve, despite being the best center in basketball
Joel Embiid drops 40 points, the Sixers roll the Pelicans, the franchise celebrates the 25th anniversary of the 2000–01 Eastern Conference champs, and somehow the night still ends with a sour taste.
Because when the 2026 NBA All-Star Game reserves were announced Sunday night, Embiid’s name wasn’t on the list.
Joel Embiid snubbed from 2026 NBA All-Star Game
Joel Embiid hangs 40 on the Pelicans, Sixers win 124-114 in South Philly
Instead, Tyrese Maxey will be the Sixers’ lone All-Star, at least for now. Injury replacements are still on the table and NBA commissioner Adam Silver has the final call there, but as it stands, Joel Embiid didn’t make the cut.
This isn’t some “Embiid missed too many games” situation anymore.
That argument worked last year. It doesn’t really work now and really, Embiid should be expecting an Eastern Conference Player of the Month award for January this week after averaging 29.7 PPG, 8.4 RPG & 4.6 APG on 54/36/86 splits.
The Sixers were 10-4 with him and 0-3 without him. That’s the guy they left out of the NBA All-Star Game… lol.
They Hate The Process
Embiid has played 28 games for a 27–21 Sixers team, already nine more appearances than he managed last season. Again, since the calendar flipped to January, he’s been on a heater, averaging 29.7 points for the month and reminding everyone what a locked-in, healthy Embiid actually looks like.
On the season, the numbers are still elite: 26.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game. He’s been consistent. He’s been dominant. And by his own standards, he’s been healthier than expected.
Yet the Eastern Conference reserves went another direction…? LOL
The coaches selected Donovan Mitchell, Jalen Johnson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Pascal Siakam, Norman Powell, Scottie Barnes, and Jalen Duren. Credit where it’s due, Johnson, Powell, and Duren earned first-time All-Star nods but honestly, what are we even doing?
Are we seriously pretending Joel Embiid hasn’t been playing All-Star caliber basketball over the past two-three months? Why is everyone lying?
This would have been Joel Embiid’s eighth All-Star selection. Instead, he stays stuck at seven, still two behind Allen Iverson, which feels especially ironic on a night honoring one of the most iconic seasons in franchise history.
The timing just stings.
Especially when you factor in the context. We really went from the possibility of a medically-mandated retirement to casual 40-point games over the span of 60-days.
Meanwhile, the Western Conference reserves came in loaded: LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Anthony Edwards, Jamal Murray, Chet Holmgren, and Deni Avdija. No shockers there.
The 2026 All-Star Game will be played on Feb. 15 at Intuit Dome, which just so happens to line up with the Sixers’ upcoming West Coast road trip. Philly has six more games before the break, and if Joel Embiid keeps playing like this, the injury replacement conversation is going to get louder whether the league likes it or not.
This feels less like Embiid falling off and more like the league still not knowing what to do with him unless he’s at absolute peak MVP levels. He’s not there yet. But he’s close enough that leaving him off entirely feels like overcorrection.
The season isn’t over and neither is this story, but for now, Joel Embiid just got snubbed and after the last 60-days of NBA basketball, that’s hard to justify.
Join The Chase
Read More
76ers hire Mike Gansey, but Josh Harris is still the real problem
The 76ers have a new front office boss. According to…
Tyrese Maxey named to All-NBA Third Team, led the entire league in minutes
Tyrese Maxey was named to the All-NBA Third Team for…
Predictable: Jameer Nelson is a ‘top candidate’ for the Sixers President of Basketball Operations position
Jameer Nelson, the St. Joe’s legend and current Sixers assistant…
Comments (0)