76ers' Joel Embiid Says He Lost 25-30 Pounds After 2023-24 NBA Season

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid told reporters on Monday that he's lost "25, 30 pounds" since the end of last season, but those efforts for the 2024-25 season aren't finished.

Embiid told reporters he texted president of basketball operations Daryl Morey as soon as last season ended, saying that he needed to do anything it took to be ready for the playoffs. In terms of individual awards, however, he noted that "there's no agenda."

"Basically every single year of my career, I've been hurt in the playoffs," Embiid acknowledged during his press conference Monday. "[Staying healthy] is the goal. Whatever it takes to get there... physically, I'm not where I want to be. ... Whatever it takes to get to that stage and be healthy, because I believe, with the guys that we have and what I can bring to the table, we have a pretty good chance."

There's no doubt that Embiid has emerged as one of the NBA's elite talents and big men. Among his accomplishments are a gold medal with Team USA this summer, an MVP award, two scoring titles, seven All-Star Game berths and five All-NBA selections (four on the second team, one on the first team).

He's led the Sixers to seven straight playoff appearances, but has never managed to get past the second round. Part of that has been Embiid's tendency to carry injuries into the postseason, hurting his quality of play.

Indeed, his regular season averages (27.9 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.7 BPG, 50.4 percent from the floor) trump his playoff production (24.9 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.7 BPG, 45.9 percent from the floor).

Expectations are high in Philadelphia, however, after the team signed Paul George, Caleb Martin, Eric Gordon, Reggie Jackson, Andre Drummond and Guerschon Yabusele in free agency, re-signed Kyle Lowry and Kelly Oubre Jr., drafted Jared McCain and inked Embiid and Tyrese Maxey to lucrative extensions.

This feels like the best-constructed roster of the Embiid era, with George and Maxey serving as the ideal archetypes to complement the big man's game. The Eastern Conference, of course, is loaded, with the defending Boston Celtics, revamped New York Knicks and the ever-present Milwaukee Bucks providing a threat.

But if Embiid can stay healthy, the Sixers will be a threat. The hope is that cutting some weight will help in that effort.