Nick Piccone
Earlier today, we posted a few videos that captured Joel Embiid having the time of his life last night during the Meek Mill concert in Philly, which included getting on the stage and dancing. It was a very polarizing subject today on sports talk radio and Sixers Twitter, and even though this news has broken in the last few minutes, I still don’t care that Embiid danced on stage last night. But, I digress… [yes, his knee still looked pretty damn good to me.]
Derek Bodner – seriously, Philly Mag … why? – is reporting that Embiid is currently suffering from a torn meniscus in his left knee, which was discovered after his initial MRI for a “left knee contusion.”
Joel Embiid has a torn meniscus in his left knee, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation.
The tear was discovered after Embiid underwent an MRI following a 93-92 victory on January 20th over the Portland Trailblazers. Embiid left the game in the third quarter with a left knee contusion after landing awkwardly following a drive to the basket.
There is some thought that the torn meniscus could be a pre-existing condition which the ensuing MRI discovered, rather than caused by the fall on January 20th, although the two injuries being related has not been completely ruled out.
The tear is a low-grade tear and is not expected to require surgical intervention. It is unclear whether the tear is contributing to the soreness and swelling which has kept Embiid out of 11 of the last 12 games, including the last 8 in a row.
Embiid has been ruled out of tonight’s game against the Miami Heat, and there is a good chance he will remain out through the All-Star break, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.
Bryan Colangelo was on both 97.5 The Fanatic and 94WIP this past week and made no mention of a meniscus tear.
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According to Bodner, the meniscus tear is not thought to be a long-term issue, and Embiid won’t require surgery. Like Bodner states, the Sixers think it could have been a pre-existing condition before his left knee contusion was diagnosed. Embiid played against the Houston Rockets three games after being diagnosed with a left knee contusion, saying that he convinced the team to let him play. He hasn’t played since.
A left knee meniscus tear isn’t the end of the world. Embiid doesn’t need surgery for it, and keeping him out until after the All-Star break seems like a good move at this point. But, the Sixers never mentioning this publicly tells me they were 100% worried about fan reaction. Oh, and probably keeping everyone guessing at when he’ll return so they’d continue buying tickets. That, too.
Before Saturday night’s game against the Heat, Colangelo spoke with reporters about Embiid’s meniscus tear.
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