Sixers’ Joel Embiid undergoes left knee surgery performed by Dr. Jonathan L. Glashow
This surgery came after the Sixers determined on Feb. 28 that Embiid was medically unable to play and would remain sidelined for the remainder of the season.
The 76ers announced that Joel Embiid underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on Wednesday at NYU Langone Sports Medicine Center.
Dr. Jonathan L. Glashow performed the surgery on the seven-time All-Star. Glashow has worked with and rehabbed numerous athletes, including Kawhi Leonard.
This surgery came after the Sixers determined on Feb. 28 that Embiid was medically unable to play and would remain sidelined for the remainder of the season to focus on treatment and rehabilitation. The 2023 league MVP will be reevaluated in about six weeks.
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Embiid played only 19 games this season. His averages of 23.8 points and 8.2 rebounds were the fourth- and second-lowest, respectively, in his nine NBA seasons. He also shot career lows from the field (44.4%) and on three-pointers (29.9%).
This procedure is Embiid’s second surgery on the knee in 14 months and third in nine seasons. He had surgery on Feb. 6, 2024, after suffering a torn meniscus in his knee eight days earlier in a game against the Golden State Warriors.
Lonnie Walker’s relentlessness
Nick Nurse described Lonnie Walker IV as a “hooper who loves to play.”
Those traits have become evident during his tenure with the Sixers.
Walker agreed to join the Sixers in a surprise signing and arrived in Philadelphia on Feb. 18 with only the clothes from a trip to Paris. Then, after suffering a concussion on March 12, the shooting guard was so eager to return that he might have returned too soon. That led Walker to reenter concussion protocol after playing 11 minutes, 2 seconds on March 21 against the San Antonio Spurs.
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And when Walker suffered a right heel contusion against the Milwaukee Bucks on April 3, the Reading native earnestly tried to remain in the game.
“I think availability is very important for the Sixers to see that I’m ready to fight anyone, get through anything, and continuously show what I’m capable of doing and just my mental fortitude of the game and my approach,” Walker said. “People can have that trust and understanding like, ‘I know that each and every day, even if he’s not feeling too well, he’s still going to give it a go.’ I’m not a person that’s going to sit down. I’m not programmed that way. My father never grew me that way.”
The 26-year-old has averaged 11.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in his first 18 games after signing a two-year, $3.7 million deal with the Sixers on Feb. 21.
Walker’s deal included a base salary of $780,932 for the remainder of the season, with a club option of $2.9 million for next season. The Sixers have until June 29 to pick up his option.
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He was signed after finalizing a buyout with Lithuania’s Basketball Club Žalgiris. The seventh-year NBA veteran signed with the European team after being released by the Boston Celtics in October.
“I think he was very surprised that he ended up in [Europe],” Nurse said. “I think probably a lot of people were to start the year, that he didn’t, you know, land on [an NBA] roster. He’s been a pretty good scorer in this league for a few years.
“But I talked to him a couple of times, and he says he’s very appreciative of being back and wants to make the most of it, for sure. So I don’t think little injuries will stop him. That’s for sure.”