Philadelphia 76ers

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid took the blame for his team's notable playoff struggles and inability to make a deep postseason run in an interview with David Marchese of the New York Times, citing his injuries over the years.

When asked whether he questions if Philadelphia is the place where he can win a championship, Embiid said: "I'm sure everybody asks themselves questions if you care about the right things and you care about winning and it hasn't happened. Which, I'm probably at fault, too."

When asked why he would be at fault, Embiid elaborated: "Injuries. I don't perform at the level that I should. I could take the easy way out and not play through injuries, but I'm just like, I'll play. So that's all my fault probably because I haven't performed at times at the level that I know I can and I know I should. But then again, if you want to win, the thing that I always talked about is stability, continuity."

Embiid then stressed the importance of continuity in pursuit of a championship, citing successful teams that have kept their core together for multiple years before reaching the summit, like the Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets and Boston Celtics.

Last season, Embiid missed two months with a lateral meniscus injury in his left knee, and he ultimately missed more than half the regular season. Embiid visibly struggled in the first round of the playoffs against the New York Knicks at times with a bothersome knee. He has missed 16 or more games in seven of his eight NBA seasons.

But this simply could be a case where Embiid, as the leader of the team, is taking ownership of the team's playoff problems and putting the blame on himself when the issues aren't truly his fault. He's a fantastic player when healthy, winning the 2022-23 NBA MVP award and averaging a career-high 34.7 points per game last year alongside 11.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists. And he's the primary reason why Philadelphia has been a perennial playoff team for years now.

Simply put, Philadelphia hasn't been able to build a team around him to beat the East's elite squads—at least not yet. As Embiid noted, stars have come and gone, and the team hasn't been able to develop a consistent core.

However, that should change now with the emergence of Tyrese Maxey, who just made his first All-Star team and signed a five-year max deal. Philadelphia has also signed six-time All-NBA standout Paul George to a four-year contract.

Ultimately, Philadelphia is still looking for its first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2001. And this year should be a tough road to get there given how daunting the top tiers of the East seem to be. But if Embiid can stay healthy for most of the year and this new core gels, then the 76ers may finally be poised for a breakthrough.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid suggested Saturday that if not for injuries, he would be in the conversation as one of the NBA's greatest players of all-time.

As part of an interview on The Daily with David Marchese of the New York Times, Embiid agreed with the premise that he could have been viewed as a GOAT candidate had he been healthier over the course of his career even though he has yet to win an NBA championship or reach the Eastern Conference Finals:

"I think so," he said. "I think I'm that talented. Obviously you need to win championships, and to win championships you need other guys. You can't do it by yourself. I want to win so bad. But if you don't, you just got to understand that as long as you care about the right stuff, if it doesn't happen, maybe it wasn't meant to happen."

Embiid went on to add that "freak injuries" have held him back over the years, saying: "If you think about it, the thing that stopped me all these years is just freak injuries. Every single playoffs, regular season, people falling on my knee or breaking my face—twice. It's always freak injuries at the wrong time."

When informed by the interviewer that his stance would likely be a source of great debate in sports media, Embiid stood firm, saying: "That's OK because that's the truth. I mean, you think about what I've been able to accomplish and what has been taken away because of injuries. There's a lot of what-ifs, but if you combine collectively and individually, you can make the case of being up there."

The 30-year-old Embiid went third overall in the 2014 NBA draft, but he missed the entirety of his first two NBA seasons due to foot injuries.

In eight seasons since then, Embiid has earned seven All-Star nods, five All-NBA selections, three NBA All-Defensive Team selections, two scoring titles and 2022-23 MVP honors.

The seven-footer has averaged better than 30 points per game in each of the past three seasons and 10 or more rebounds per game in each of the past seven.

The 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons were the healthiest of his career, as he appeared in 68 and 66 games, respectively, but injuries limited him to just 39 games last season.

When he played, Embiid averaged a career-high 34.7 points per game, bettering his previous career mark of 33.1, which he set in his 2022-23 MVP campaign.

For as good as Embiid has been, the Sixers have not advanced past the second round of the playoffs during his career, which perhaps hurts his GOAT argument even more than the injuries.

It doesn't help his case that his career overlaps with that of Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić, who has been healthier, won three NBA MVP awards and won both an NBA championship and the NBA Finals MVP Award in 2023.

Embiid can possibly change the narrative with a deep playoff run, and he may have the team to get it done in 2024-25, as the Sixers signed nine-time All-Star Paul George to play alongside him and Tyrese Maxey.

As Joel Embiid prepares to play in the Olympics for the first time in his career, the former NBA MVP has opened up about his decision to suit up for Team USA instead of France.

In an interview with David Marchese of the New York Times, Embiid called it a "tough" decision made even more difficult because France put a timetable on him to make it:

"Obviously, I got my home country, Cameroon, which I love, and the U.S., where I've been for 14 years now, and then France, where I have a lot of family," Embiid said. "I kind of felt rushed in that decision. I wanted to take as much time as possible, and it didn't help that France had put an ultimatum on when the decision had to be made."

Embiid said he wasn't aware there was a timeline, but he "saw it on Twitter" and was surprised because the U.S. was willing to give him as much time as necessary to make a decision.

The Philadelphia 76ers star did say his first choice would have been to play for his home country of Cameroon if they had qualified. He also explained that he had a discussion with French President Emmanuel Macron to relay concerns he had about the country's relationship with Cameroon and other African countries.

"There's a lot of things going on over there," he said. "There's a lot of pushback as far as basically kicking out the French because it's been so many years of oppression. So that was my mind-set. I still got my family living in Cameroon, and I don't want to put them through any of that stuff. I want them to be safe, and the relationship between France and Cameroon or Africa in general is just not good."

Embiid described his conversation with Macron about that topic as "nice" and said they had a "great talk." The seven-time All-Star was born in Cameroon and was granted French citizenship in May 2022, making him eligible to play for the country's national team.

Four months after France made him a citizen, Embiid was sworn in as a U.S. citizen. He committed to play for the United States in the 2024 Olympics in October, citing his son being born in the U.S. and having lived in the country since he was 16 among his primary reasons for the decision.

In May, The Athletic's Joe Vardon wrote a story about Embiid's Olympics decision. It was noted within the story that Jean-Pierre Siutat, president of the French Basketball Federation, and general manager Boris Diaw felt Embiid misled them by claiming he was still going to play for France during the period when he was being sworn in as a U.S. citizen.

"We asked him then if he still was with us. He was like, 'Yes, I still want to play for France,'" Diaw told The Athletic. "But then he didn't commit."

With the 2024 Olympics being held in Paris, Marchese asked Embiid about the reaction he expects to receive from the fans in attendance.

"I expect a lot of boos," Embiid answered. "But I actually love it. It's not going to be anything I haven't seen."

Embiid and the United States are favored to win gold at the 2024 Games. They will open group play on July 28 against South Sudan in Group C.

France is one of the teams expected to be a threat to the U.S. in the tournament. The host country is in Group B and won't get a chance to face the Americans until the knockout stage if both teams advance.

Playing with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey may have been a major selling point to get Paul George to sign in Philadelphia, but rapper Lil Dicky helped put the deal over the edge.

George said the rapper's comments on saving money helped sway him to make the move from Los Angeles to Philadelphia.

"It sold me. ... What hit me was the saving money. It impacted me. It had a little touch on me," George said on his podcast (9:05 mark).

In a video prepared by the Sixers for their pitch to George, Lil Dicky explained what his $3 million house in Los Angeles looks like compared to what he could buy in the Philadelphia area. A native of the Philadelphia area, Lil Dicky said his career as a rapper and actor forces him to stay in Los Angeles, while George could get more "bang for his buck" by taking a max contract with the Sixers.

"You had an influence. That's a badge of honor right there," George said.

Of course, it doesn't hurt that the Sixers offered more bucks in general. George signed a four-year, $211.6 million contract with the Sixers. By contrast, the Clippers weren't even willing to offer George the same three-year, $149.7 million deal they gave Kawhi Leonard in January.

George has said he never wanted to leave Los Angeles, his hometown, but the Clippers refused to offer respect in the form of a long-term commitment. The Sixers were, and they had Lil Dicky in their corner, which apparently didn't hurt.

The Philadelphia 76ers continued to fill out their depth chart behind Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey on Thursday, bringing back veteran point guard Kyle Lowry on a one-year deal, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

Here's what their updated depth chart looks like after the signing:

• PG: Maxey / Lowry
• SG: Kelly Oubre Jr. / Eric Gordon / Jared McCain
  
• SF: Paul George / Ricky Council IV
  
• PF: Caleb Martin
• C: Joel Embiid / Andre Drummond / Adem Bona 
  

Under the assumption that Lowry is returning on a veteran minimum, the Sixers' cap sheet isn't going to change much from the $171.6 million it currently sits at, per Spotrac. The Sixers also currently still have a cap hold on Kenyon Martin Jr., making him a strong sign-and-trade possibility as the team seeks to add more veteran help to fill out the roster.

While the 38-year-old Lowry is well past his prime at this point, he checks a few key boxes for the Sixers, namely in terms of playmaking. He remains a solid defender as well, and his experience and veteran presence was valuable for the Sixers last season.

In 23 games during the regular season (20 starts) with the Sixers, he averaged eight points and 4.6 assists per game, shooting 40.4 percent from three.

At this point, he's probably best served coming off the bench, and the Sixers now have far better depth in that regard with him, Gordon and McCain. The Sixers could still use another power forward and more wing depth, but this has the makings of one of the best teams in the NBA next season.

The big three of Embiid, George and Maxey fit perfectly from a skill-set perspective, and the Sixers have surrounded them with wings and shooting. There was a lack of playmaking on the roster before Thursday, though Lowry will help in that regard.

Daryl Morey surely has a few more moves up his sleeve, but this Sixers team is rounding into form and should be one of the top contenders in the East behind the Boston Celtics.

After getting the chance to play for his hometown team during the 2023-24 season, veteran point guard Kyle Lowry is reportedly staying put this summer.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, Lowry agreed to re-sign with the Philadelphia 76ers on a one-year deal on Thursday. The Philadelphia native had originally joined the team on a $2.8 million deal for the remainder of last season after receiving a contract buyout from the Charlotte Hornets in February.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported on June 23 that Lowry "is widely expected to re-sign with the 76ers," so his decision isn't much of a surprise.

However, there was at least some buzz surrounding the Los Angeles Clippers prior to this decision.

Lowry began the 2023-24 season with the Miami Heat before he was sent to Charlotte as part of the deal that allowed Miami to acquire point guard Terry Rozier. It was expected that he would be bought out by Charlotte upon his acquisition, and the Villanova alum chose to return to his roots.

Lowry played 23 games for the Sixers with 20 starts last season and averaged 8.0 points, 4.6 assists and 2.8 rebounds while shooting 40.4 percent from three-point range. He also started all six of Philadelphia's playoff games in the first-round series against the New York Knicks, which the Sixers lost 4-2.

A first-round pick in the 2006 NBA draft, Lowry has also suited up for the Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets and Toronto Raptors in his lengthy career, winning an NBA championship in 2019 with the latter. He was selected to six straight All-Star Games from 2015 to 2020 and was one of the best two-way point guards in the league during his prime thanks to his defensive prowess.

By re-signing Lowry, the Sixers are retaining a veteran presence who should provide leadership in the locker room while also being a mentor to rising point guard Tyrese Maxey and someone who can distribute the ball to Joel Embiid and Paul George.

Joel Embiid and Team USA will get a tough matchup right out of the gate at the Olympics later this month.

The team will face off against three-time MVP Nikola Jokić and the Serbian national team on July 28 in their first game of the Olympics. As the United States continues to prepare for Paris, Embiid said he's not worried about Jokić for now.

"I don't care about Jokić. I'm playing for my national team," Embiid said, per the Denver Post's Troy Renck. "It's all about focusing on ourselves and trying to make sure everybody's on the same page. When we get there, we've got to know what we got to focus on. Right now it's just about finding ways to get better every single day."

Embiid will be playing for Team USA for the first time in his career when he travels to Paris at the end of July. The Cameroon native is eligible to compete for Cameroon, France and the United States, where he gained citizenship in 2022, and he chose to play for Team USA, citing that he wants to win a gold medal for his son.

"I want to play for my fans because they've been incredible since the day I came here," Embiid said in his post committing to play for Team USA. "But most of all, I want to honor my son who was born in the US. I want my boy to know I played my first Olympics for him."

Embiid joins a star-studded roster alongside veterans like LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard and Steph Curry and young stars like Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton, and together the group will go for another gold medal.

The Philadelphia 76ers reportedly included trade kickers in the contracts for a couple of their latest acquisitions.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported that both Paul George and Caleb Martin have received 15 percent trade kickers in their new contracts with the franchise.

A trade kicker is "the percentage of a player's salary that is awarded as a bonus in the event of a trade," per Basketball Reference. This means that if George or Martin were to be dealt away during their contract, they would receive a 15 percent pay bonus from the 76ers.

While this could help sweeten an unexpected trade for the player, it more importantly incentivizes Philadelphia to see through the duration of the contracts in order to not dish out more money.

Both players signed four-year deals, although both have a player option for the fourth year so they could choose to depart after three years. This means that the 76ers should remain a win-now team for at least three more years, although that was likely even before the kickers were offered.

George and Martin join a 76ers team that already has Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Philadelphia has qualified for the playoffs in seven consecutive seasons, but it has failed to advance past the second round during that stretch.

Philadelphia hopes the reinforcement will help reverse that fortune and guide the 76ers to their first NBA title since 1982-83.

The black Philadelphia 76ers uniforms from the Allen Iverson days are an iconic throwback, especially in the City of Brotherly Love.

So, will the team be bringing them back?

After the Sixers recently presented Maxey with his own black throwback, speculation was fueled that the beloved threads might be making a return:

Don't expect to see them this season, however. According to Alexandra Simon of CBS News Philadelphia, "Sources in the Sixers' organization told CBS News Philadelphia that while they are working on bringing back the black jerseys, they won't be worn in the upcoming season."

Eventually, however, Maxey, Embiid and Paul George might be donning the classic black jerseys. Expect them to sell like hot cakes.

Paul George revealed that Hall of Fame forward and Philadelphia 76ers legend Julius Erving helped recruit him to join the organization in free agency during his meeting with team owners and representatives.

"David Blitzer came, Josh Harris, Elton Brand, Dr. J," George said during the latest episode of Podcast P, presented by Wave Sports + Entertainment on Monday. "Bro, I had Dr. J in my crib. That's crazy." George continued:

Dr. J had a dope intro and story. He brought up how he joined the team, they ended up getting to the champion ship and lost one. Got to the championship again, lost. Got to the championship again, lost. He's like 'We just can't get over the hump. Then they go ahead and trade for Moses Malone and win it. And he was like' That was the missing piece. P, you the missing piece. So I was like man, where do I sign!

On July 1, George joined the 76ers on a four-year deal worth $212 million after spending the previous five seasons as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers.

George also detailed the 76ers' pitch to him as a free agent, mentioning his fit alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

"We believe in you, we want you here, there's no [more] perfect pairing with you, Joel [Embiid], Tyrese [Maxey] together," George recounted. "My family felt it, I felt it, it just felt like, alright, this is where I'm going to spend the next chapter of my life."

The 34-year-old was impressed with Philadelphia's efforts, explaining that "this is who i'm supposed to play for."

George also admitted that it was a difficult decision to leave Los Angeles and move his family, as the 2024 offseason represented his first time switching teams as a free agent.

"It was the toughest decision, because I'm moving my kids, my wife, right? They're comfortable here," he said. "My daughters, they're already sad that they're missing out and leaving their friends that they now have grown up with for the past five years and so it was a lot. I ain't going to lie."

However, the opportunity to join the 76ers on a maximum contract and compete for an Eastern Conference crown ultimately swayed George. Erving's recruitment also played a part, as the former champion spent every season of his NBA career with the organization.

ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported on Wednesday that the plane carrying Erving and 76ers owner Josh Harris to the free agency meeting was delayed due to weather. When George's agent asked him if he wanted to wait for the Philadelphia sports icon, he responded "of course."

With his excitement to join the organization and his reverence for the team's legends, George is already endearing himself to 76ers fans before he's stepped inside the Wells Fargo Center as a member of the home team.