Joel Embiid, the reigning MVP of the NBA and a key player for the Philadelphia 76ers, has been diagnosed with a torn meniscus in his left knee. He will undergo surgery this week to repair the injury and is expected to miss an extended period of time. The exact timeline for his return is not yet clear.
Embiid suffered the injury during a game against the Golden State Warriors on January 31, after missing several games with soreness in his knee. He had previously been dealing with soreness in the knee for much of the season, according to a source cited by The Athletic. Despite this, no one questioned the legitimacy of his injury.
The Sixers announced that Embiid will have surgery to repair an injury to his meniscus and will be sidelined for an extended period of time. An update on his condition will be provided following the procedure. The NBA trade deadline is approaching on February 8th, with teams making last-ditch efforts to save their seasons.
Embiid was diagnosed with a displaced flap of the meniscus in his left knee by doctors at Rothman Orthopaedic Institute. The lateral meniscus is cartilage that acts as a shock absorber and stabilizes the knee. This will be Embiid's second meniscus surgery in his left knee; he had previously undergone surgery for a torn meniscus in March 2017, which caused him to miss 15 consecutive games.
There are two types of procedures that Embiid could have performed: a partial meniscectomy or a meniscal repair. With a partial meniscectomy, the surgeon would arthroscopically remove a piece of the meniscus. A repair, on the other hand, would require sutures and anchors to mend the torn tissue and has a much longer rehabilitation period.
Embiid's injury will likely cause him to miss the rest of the season and he will not be eligible for MVP or All-NBA team honors due to the league's new 65-game minimum rule. The Sixers have said that they are hopeful Embiid can return in one to two months, but this timeline is dependent on the outcome of his surgery.