Joel Embiid facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Joel Embiid

Embiid with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2019
No. 21 – Philadelphia 76ers
Center
Personal information
Born	(1994-03-16) 16 March 1994 (age 31) Yaoundé, Cameroon
Nationality	Cameroonian / French / American
High school	Montverde Academy (Montverde, Florida) The Rock School (Gainesville, Florida)
Listed height	7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)
Listed weight	280 lb (127 kg)
Career information
College	Kansas (2013–2014)
NBA Draft	2014 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3rd overall
Selected by the Philadelphia 76ers
Pro career	2014–present
League	NBA
Career history
2014–present	Philadelphia 76ers
Career highlights and awards
NBA Most Valuable Player (2023) 7× NBA All-Star (2018–2024) All-NBA First Team (2023) 4× All-NBA Second Team (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022) 3× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2018, 2019, 2021) 2× NBA scoring champion (2022, 2023) NBA All-Rookie First Team (2017) Second-team All-Big 12 (2014) Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year (2014) Big 12 All-Defensive Team (2014) Big 12 All-Newcomer Team (2014)
Medals Men's basketball Representing the  United States Olympic Games Gold 2024 Paris Team

Joel Hans Embiid is a professional basketball player from Cameroon and America. He plays for the Philadelphia 76ers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Embiid was chosen third overall in the 2014 NBA draft after playing one year of college basketball.

Standing 7 feet tall, Embiid is a seven-time NBA All-Star. He has been named to the All-NBA Team five times and the NBA All-Defensive Team three times. He also led the NBA in scoring twice. In 2023, he was named the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP). Embiid also won a gold medal with the U.S. Olympic team in 2024.

Joel Embiid's start in the NBA was delayed by injuries. He missed two full seasons before playing his first game in 2016–17. Despite this, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. He calls himself "the Process" because of the team's rebuilding time when he joined. Embiid was the NBA's top scorer in the 2021–22 and 2022–23 seasons. He was the first center to do this since Shaquille O'Neal in 2000. He was also the first foreign player to lead the NBA in scoring.

Early Life and Basketball Start

Joel Embiid was born in Yaoundé, Cameroon. His father, Thomas, was a military officer. As a child, Joel played volleyball and soccer. He first wanted to play professional volleyball in Europe.

At age 15, he started playing basketball. He looked up to NBA legend Hakeem Olajuwon. An NBA player from Cameroon, Luc Mbah a Moute, discovered Embiid at a basketball camp. With Mbah a Moute's help, Embiid moved to the United States at 16. He wanted to become a professional basketball player.

Embiid first went to Montverde Academy, but he later transferred. He then attended The Rock School in Gainesville, Florida. In his final year, he led his team to a state championship. He averaged 13.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game. Embiid was a top recruit and chose to play for Kansas in 2012.

College Basketball Career

Embiid with the Kansas Jayhawks in 2014

Embiid played one year at the University of Kansas. He was teammates with Andrew Wiggins. In February 2014, he was a finalist for the Naismith College Player of the Year award. During the 2013–14 season, he played 28 games. He averaged 11.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game. He was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. He also made the second-team All-Big 12.

In March 2014, Embiid suffered a back injury. He missed the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments that year. Kansas lost early in the NCAA tournament.

Professional Basketball Career

Joining the NBA: 2014 Draft

On April 9, 2014, Embiid decided to enter the 2014 NBA draft. This meant he would not play his last three years of college. On June 20, 2014, he had surgery on a broken bone in his right foot. He was expected to be out for several months. Six days later, the Philadelphia 76ers chose him as the third overall pick. He became the third player from Cameroon to join the NBA. He was also the highest-drafted player from Cameroon.

Philadelphia 76ers (2014–Present)

Early Seasons: Injuries and Delays (2014–2016)

Embiid practicing with the 76ers in 2014

Embiid signed his first contract with the 76ers on August 26, 2014. However, he was not able to play in the 2014–15 season due to his foot injury. In June 2015, it was announced that his foot was not healing as expected. He had a second surgery on his right foot in August 2015. This meant he also missed the entire 2015–16 season.

First Season: All-Rookie Honors (2016–17)

Embiid finally played his first NBA regular-season game on October 26, 2016. He scored 20 points and had seven rebounds in a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. On November 1, he got his first "double-double" (double-digit points and rebounds). On November 11, he scored 25 points to help the 76ers get their first win of the season. He set a new career high with 33 points on December 18.

Embiid was named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month three times. In January 2017, he grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds. He was also chosen for the 2017 Rising Stars Challenge. In February 2017, it was found that Embiid had a torn meniscus in his left knee. This injury kept him out of the All-Star Weekend events. He had surgery on his knee in March 2017 and missed the rest of the season. Despite playing only 31 games, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

Becoming an All-Star (2017–18)

On October 10, 2017, Embiid signed a big contract extension with the 76ers. On November 15, he scored a career-high 46 points and grabbed 15 rebounds against the Los Angeles Lakers. He also had seven assists and seven blocks. This was the most points by a Philadelphia player in 11 years.

Embiid dunking the basketball in 2018

In January 2018, he was chosen as a starter for the 2018 NBA All-Star Game. He was the first 76ers player to start in an All-Star game since Allen Iverson. On March 28, Embiid suffered a fracture near his left eye. He had surgery and missed the first two playoff games. He returned for Game 3 of the first round against the Miami Heat. He scored 23 points to help the 76ers win. The 76ers won that series but lost to the Boston Celtics in the next round.

Playoff Challenges (2018–19)

On October 24, 2018, Embiid had 30 points and 19 rebounds. He became the first 76ers player since Charles Barkley to reach those numbers. On November 1, he scored 41 points and had 13 rebounds. Two days later, he scored 39 points and 17 rebounds. On November 14, he got his first "triple-double" (double-digit points, rebounds, and assists) with 19 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists.

On March 20, 2019, Embiid scored 37 points and had a career-high 22 rebounds against the Boston Celtics. He finished the season missing 14 games due to rest and injury. In the playoffs, the 76ers lost to the Toronto Raptors in seven games. Embiid battled illness during this series.

First Round Exit (2019–20)

On October 31, 2019, Embiid was suspended for two games after an argument with Karl-Anthony Towns. On November 25, he went scoreless for the first time in his career. On February 24, 2020, Embiid scored a career-high 49 points and had 14 rebounds. On August 1, he scored 41 points and 21 rebounds in the first game back after the COVID-19 break. In the playoffs, the 76ers were eliminated in the first round. Embiid averaged a playoff career-high 30 points per game.

MVP Runner-Up (2020–21)

On February 20, 2021, Embiid scored a career-high 50 points and had 17 rebounds. He led the 76ers to the best record in the Eastern Conference. He finished second in the voting for the NBA Most Valuable Player Award. In the playoffs, Embiid scored a playoff career-high 40 points in a game against the Atlanta Hawks. However, Philadelphia lost to Atlanta in seven games.

First Scoring Title (2021–22)

Embiid at the 2022 NBA All-Star Game

On August 17, 2021, Embiid signed a new four-year contract. He missed nine games after testing positive for COVID-19. In his first game back, he scored 42 points and had 14 rebounds. On January 19, 2022, Embiid matched his career high of 50 points. On February 12, he got his fourth career triple-double with 40 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists. He was the first 76ers player since Wilt Chamberlain in 1968 to have a 40-point triple-double.

Embiid became the NBA's top scorer, averaging 30.6 points per game. He was the first center to do this since Shaquille O'Neal in 2000. He was also the first foreign player to win an NBA scoring title. In the playoffs, Embiid injured his thumb and suffered a mild concussion and a fracture near his right eye. He missed the first two games of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The 76ers lost to Miami in six games. He had surgery on his thumb and left index finger after the season.

NBA MVP and Second Scoring Title (2022–23)

On November 13, 2022, Embiid scored a career-high 59 points. He also had 11 rebounds, eight assists, and seven blocks. He became the first player in NBA history with 50 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and five blocks in a game. This was the fifth-best scoring performance in 76ers history. On December 11, Embiid scored 53 points and had 11 rebounds. He became the third 76ers player to have multiple 50-point games in one season.

A poster celebrating Embiid's MVP award in Philadelphia in April 2023

On January 28, 2023, Embiid recorded 47 points, 18 rebounds, five assists, three steals, and two blocks. He joined Chris Webber and Bob McAdoo as the only players in NBA history with such a performance. He won the Eastern Conference Player of the Month award twice in a row. On February 15, Embiid scored his 10,000th career point. He reached this milestone faster than any other 76ers player. On April 4, Embiid scored 52 points on excellent shooting. He became just the second player in NBA history to have at least 50 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists while shooting 80% or better.

On April 9, Embiid was named the NBA scoring champion for the second straight season. He averaged 33.1 points per game. On May 2, Embiid won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award. He was the fifth 76ers player to win this award. In the playoffs, the 76ers lost to the Boston Celtics in seven games.

Career High in Scoring and Knee Surgery (2023–24)

On November 6, 2023, Embiid scored 48 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists. He scored 29 points in just one quarter, shooting perfectly. On December 20, Embiid scored a season-high 51 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. He had his 12th straight game with 30 or more points and 10-plus rebounds. This was the longest streak in the NBA since 1971–72.

On January 2, 2024, Embiid had a triple-double with 31 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists. He did this without playing in the fourth quarter, a first in NBA history. On January 22, Embiid scored 70 points, along with 18 rebounds and five assists. This broke the 76ers franchise record for most points in a game. He became the ninth player in NBA history to score 70 or more points in a game. He was also the first player in NBA history to score at least 70 points, 15 rebounds, and five assists in a game.

On February 1, it was announced that Embiid would miss several games due to a knee injury. He returned on April 2, scoring 24 points in a win. On April 25, 2024, Embiid scored a playoff career-high 50 points. He also shared that he had been diagnosed with Bell's palsy (a condition that causes temporary weakness or paralysis of the muscles in the face) and was dealing with migraines (severe headaches) and blurred vision. In Game 5, Embiid recorded his first playoff triple-double. The 76ers lost to the New York Knicks in six games. Embiid finished the playoffs averaging a career-high 33.0 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 5.7 assists.

Dealing with Injuries (2024–25)

On September 19, 2024, Embiid signed a three-year contract extension. On November 2, he had an incident with a reporter and received a three-game suspension. He missed the start of the season due to a knee injury. On November 21, it was reported that teammate Tyrese Maxey said Embiid was often late to team activities.

On February 4, 2025, Embiid returned after missing 15 games due to his left knee injury. He recorded his eighth career triple-double. On February 28, the 76ers announced that Embiid would miss the rest of the 2024–25 season due to ongoing knee issues. He averaged 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 19 games. On April 11, Embiid had surgery on his left knee.

National Team Career

Embiid could choose to play for the national basketball teams of Cameroon, France, or the United States. In July 2022, he became a citizen of France. In September, he also became a U.S. citizen. The French President, Emmanuel Macron, had tried to convince him to play for France.

Embiid decided to play for the U.S. Olympic team in Paris in 2024. He said he wanted to win a gold medal for his son, who was born in the U.S. During the Olympics, French fans often booed Embiid for his choice. He helped Team USA win the gold medal. He averaged 11.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game.

Embiid has said he might play for Cameroon in the future. However, he would need special permission to do so in the 2028 Olympics.

Personal Life

Embiid with his son at the NBA All-Star Game in 2022

Joel Embiid's younger brother, Arthur, died in a car crash in Cameroon in 2014. Joel also has a younger sister. He speaks English, French, and Basaa. Embiid has been with Brazilian model Anne de Paula since 2018. They had a son in September 2020 and got married in July 2023.

Embiid is known for his fun personality and active presence on social media. He is Catholic and does not drink alcohol. He is a big fan of the soccer team Real Madrid CF.

In March 2021, Embiid donated $100,000, his winnings from the 2021 NBA All-Star Game. He gave the money to help fight homelessness in Philadelphia. He received an award for his community work.

Business Interests

In 2023, Embiid started a production studio called Miniature Géant. He partnered with LeBron James's company. The studio focuses on telling African stories, especially about sports.

In 2024, Embiid announced a sneaker deal with Skechers. Miniature Géant also announced two projects: a documentary about soccer star Memphis Depay and a movie called Backline. Backline is about African athletes trying to become professional American football players. The studio also plans to adapt a book about young African boys scouted for a soccer academy.

Career Statistics

NBA

Regular Season Stats

Playoff Stats

College Stats

See also

In Spanish: Joel Embiid para niños

• List of NBA players born outside the United States
• List of NBA annual scoring leaders
• List of NBA single-game scoring leaders
• List of NBA single-season scoring leaders
• List of NBA single-game playoff scoring leaders
• List of NBA All-Stars