Kendrick Perkins Drops Brutal Joel Embiid Take About 76ers’ Championship Future

Kendrick Perkins and Joel Embiid (Photos by Imagn Images)

Kendrick Perkins Drops Brutal Joel Embiid Take About 76ers’ Championship Future

Originally posted on Total Pro Sports | By Heena Singh | Last updated May 7, 2026 3:09 PM ET

The Philadelphia 76ers are staring at the same nightmare again. Every postseason seems to circle back to one question: can Joel Embiid stay healthy long enough to carry a title run? Right now, the answer feels painfully familiar.

Just days after dragging Philadelphia past the Boston Celtics in a brutal seven-game series, Embiid already looks worn down. The former MVP struggled badly in Game 1 against the New York Knicks, then was officially ruled out for Game 2 with lingering ankle and hip soreness, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.

That latest setback opened the door for Kendrick Perkins to deliver a harsh reality check about Philadelphia’s championship hopes.

“You can’t win a championship with Joel Embiid being one of the faces of your franchise. You can’t trust him to be available.”

"You can't win a championship with Joel Embiid being one of the faces of your franchise. … You can't trust him to be available."

—@KendrickPerkins on Joel Embiid's injury history pic.twitter.com/JlvS2bjlDf
— First Take (@FirstTake) May 7, 2026

The criticism lands hard because the pattern keeps repeating. Embiid has battled knee, hip, foot, and oblique injuries over the last two seasons, and the condensed playoff schedule only magnifies those concerns.

Philadelphia still has talent, but when your centerpiece can’t consistently stay on the floor, every deep playoff push starts feeling unstable before it even fully begins.

Knicks Fans Continue Invading 76ers While Joel Embiid Battles Injuries

Embiid had one request for Philadelphia 76ers fans before the series shifted home – don’t let New York Knicks fans take over the arena again. Philadelphia even tried geo-fencing ticket sales to keep seats local.

However, the bigger problem is Joel Embiid’s health. The former MVP missed Game 2 with ankle and hip issues, and despite a better effort, the Sixers still fell behind 2-0 in the series heading back to Philly.

Joel Embiid (Image Credits: Imagn)

Now the spotlight shifts to Game 3. Between expensive resale tickets and Knicks fans traveling hard, the crowd atmosphere could become another major storyline in a series already slipping away from Philadelphia.

This article first appeared on Total Pro Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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