Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid ‘Doesn’t Trust Anyone And Mostly Keeps To Himself’

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid doesn’t trust anyone and mostly keeps to himself, a former Sixers staffer told Yaron Weitzman of The Ringer.

The Sixers had a team meeting in November last season and details of the meeting were leaked to the media.

“There was definitely a vibe shift among the players after that story broke,” one person close to members of the Sixers told Weitzman.

“It really affected the whole locker room,” said a second person close to another Sixers player. “People left that night feeling like they had turned a corner. Everyone promised to keep the details in-house. And then they wake up and all the details are out.”

The Sixers drafted Joel Embiid in 2014 with the third overall pick. Embiid, the 2023 MVP, missed the first two years of his career due to injuries. 

Embiid underwent arthroscopic left knee surgery in April. He only played in 19 games last season.

The Sixers signed Embiid to a three-year, $192 million extension in September 2024. Embiid, 31, is owed $248 million over the next four seasons.

Philadelphia went 24-58 last season. Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey only played in 15 games together, as all three All-Stars dealt with injuries.

Embiid averaged 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists in the 2024-25 season while shooting 44.4% from the field, 29.9% from beyond the arc and 88.2% from the free-throw line. He had seven double-doubles and one triple-double.

A Kansas product, Embiid has career averages of 27.7 points, 11.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists with the Sixers. He’s made seven All-Star teams, five All-NBA teams and three All-Defensive teams. 

Embiid has played in only 58 games the last two seasons.

The Sixers haven’t advanced past the second round of the playoffs in the Embiid era. Embiid has played with Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry, James Harden, Maxey and George. 

Embiid helped Team USA win the gold medal at the Paris Olympics last summer. He scored a career-high 70 points against the San Antonio Spurs during the 2023-24 season.