76ers’ Joel Embiid reveals troubling details about appendectomy recovery

Joel Embiid did everything he could for the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2026 NBA Playoffs after returning from an appendectomy and playing through injury. The star center returned in Game 4 against the Boston Celtics to help the team with an epic comeback, and then played through injury against the New York Knicks despite the team being heavily outmatched.

While Embiid played through the pain, it wasn’t an easy task given everything that lingered from a quick return from his appendectomy, according to Derek Bodner via X, formerly Twitter.

“The things that I’ve been dealing with, they’ve all been related to the surgery. Coming back early, the core was weak, everything was affected. So you’re looking at the hip, the adductor, everything is out of place,” Embiid said. “Jumping right to playoff basketball, that was tough. But I felt I still played as hard as I could.”

Embiid’s extensive injury history makes recovery from major surgery even harder. The big center has seen his body break down multiple times during his career, and every time the human body does, it’ll only get harder. Even elite athletes can feel the effects of injuries and age.

It’s a harsh reality for the 32-year-old Embiid, whose body might more closely resemble an athlete in his late 30s after all the injuries. It’s hard to imagine the 76ers without Embiid on the team, but the big man has to wonder what his future really looks like every time he has to come back from an injury.