The last image of Joel Embiid playing with the 76ers was him gritting his way through Bell’s palsy and the aftereffects of a left knee injury. He played 40 minutes in Game 6 of the first-round matchup last season against the New York Knicks despite being clearly limited.

Not only was this a playoff rematch from April, but it was also the NBA Cup opener and the return of Joel Embiid who made his season debut. Embiid didn't have a normal dominant night for Philadelphia as he had 13 points,

Joel Embiid has had a controversial start to the 2024-25 NBA season without playing a game. Here's what happened and why he's on the cusp of returning.