Joel Embiid adds an oblique strain to a career-long list of injuries
We wrote about it yesterday. The Sixers beat Miami 124-117 on Thursday night, and Joel Embiid strained his right oblique during the game.
Embiid did stay in and finish the game so we should definitely give him credit for that, but now comes the all too familiar part where Sixers fans sit and wait and hope this is exactly what it looks like and nothing more.
Injured Joel Embiid Dagger vs Heat
Three games minimum. Reevaluation after that.
The Sixers are 33-26. They are in the thick of a playoff race. Three games hurts. But you already know what the real concern is, because it’s always the same concern with Joel Embiid.
It’s not the three games. It’s whether three games becomes six, becomes ten, becomes a month, becomes another season-altering stretch where this team is scrambling to tread water without its best player.
An oblique strain has a way of sticking around. It’s a core injury. Every time you rotate, every time you plant, every time you do anything that resembles playing basketball, you feel it. Players across every sport have learned the hard way that these things do not cooperate with urgency.
I generated an infographic below that lays out Embiid’s full injury history with the Sixers and it is genuinely something to behold.
Stress fractures that cost him two complete seasons before he ever played a regular season game. Orbital fractures. Meniscus tears on both knees. Bell’s Palsy. A torn finger ligament. Shin soreness that has followed him into this season.
Now an oblique.
Joel Embiid has been playing this game on hard mode since the day he was drafted.
Joel Embiid Injury History – Philadelphia 76ers – 2014-2026
JOEL EMBIID
Injury History — Chronic & Major Injuries
Philadelphia 76ers · 2014 – 2026
⬡ Facial / Head Injuries
2018 – Orbital Fracture
2022 – Orbital Fracture (2nd)
⬡ Right Shoulder / Back
2019 – Shoulder Injury
2021 – Shoulder Injury
2024 – Shoulder Injury
⬡ Left Finger Ligament
2020 – Torn Ligament
⬡ Right Oblique
2025 – Sprain (MRI Confirmed)
⬡ Left Knee
2017 – Meniscus Tear (Surgery)
2024 – Meniscus Surgery
2025–26 – Swelling / Ongoing
⬡ Shin Soreness
2025–26 – Ongoing
⬡ Right Foot
2014–16 – Stress Fractures (Multiple)
Missed 2 full seasons
Philadelphia
#21
⬡ Bell’s Palsy
2024 – Facial Nerve Condition
Affected facial muscle control
⬡ Left Shoulder
2019–2024 – Recurring Issues
⬡ Torn Finger Ligament
2020 – Right Hand
⬡ Core / Oblique
2025 – Right Oblique Sprain
Limited availability late season
⬡ Right Knee
2021 – Meniscus Tear
2023 – Sprained LCL
2025–26 – Injury Management
⬡ Right Foot / Ankle
Multiple ankle sprains across career
Career Injury Timeline
2014 – 2016
Right Foot Stress Fractures — Multiple surgeries required. Missed his entire rookie season (2014–15) and sophomore year (2015–16).
⚠ 2 Full Seasons Lost
2017
Left Knee Meniscus Tear — Underwent surgery. First of many knee procedures throughout career.
Partial Season Missed
2018
Orbital Fracture — Suffered a fractured orbital bone, forced to wear a protective face mask for extended period.
High-Profile Facial Injury
2019 – 2021
Shoulder/Back Injuries — Recurring right shoulder problems across two seasons, impacting post play and load management.
2020
Torn Finger Ligaments — Both left and right hand finger ligament injuries during the NBA bubble season.
2021
Right Knee Meniscus Tear — Significant knee setback. Missed 2021 playoff run, directly impacting team’s postseason prospects.
⚠ Playoffs Impact
2023
Right Knee LCL Sprain — Suffered sprained lateral collateral ligament. Managed carefully for remainder of season.
2024
Left Knee Meniscus Surgery (second time) + Shoulder Injury. Another meniscus procedure on the left knee — same knee from 2017 tear.
⚠ Extended Recovery
2024
Bell’s Palsy — Diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy (facial nerve condition), causing temporary partial facial paralysis. Played through it.
Neurological — Rare for NBA Athletes
2025
Right Oblique Sprain (MRI Confirmed) + Ongoing left knee swelling. Core muscle injury limits explosive movement.
2025 – 26
Shin Soreness (Ongoing) + Right Knee Management + Left Knee Swelling. Multiple simultaneous lower-body issues requiring strict load management.
⚠ Current Status
Injury Legend
Orbital / Facial Fracture
Knee — Left & Right
Foot / Shin
Shoulder / Back
Core / Oblique
Neurological (Bell’s Palsy)
Hand / Finger
Career Impact
200+
Games Missed due to injury across 10+ seasons with the Sixers
2
Full Seasons Lost — 2014–15 & 2015–16 due to foot stress fractures
2017
–26
–26
Recurring Knee Issues — Multiple surgeries on both knees spanning nearly a decade
8+
Distinct Injury Areas — Head, shoulders, core, hands, knees, shins, and feet all affected
None of that means this turns into something catastrophic. It might be clean and simple and he comes back in three games and you forget this ever happened. But the history of Joel Embiid is the history, and it’s hard to look at that chart and not feel the weight of it.
The Sixers need to win games while Joel Embiid is out. They know how to do it, imperfectly, and they’re going to have to do it again.
Every game in the standings matters right now, and Joel Embiid being on the sideline in street clothes makes every opponent feel slightly more dangerous than they actually are.
Get healthy, Jo. The playoffs continue to be the whole point.
Join The Chase
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