Joel Embiid Has Torn Meniscus In Left Knee

Joel Embiid has a torn meniscus in his left knee, Derek Bodner reports on his website. It’s a low-grade tear and Embiid is not expected to require surgery as a result of it.

Embiid has missed 11 out of the team’s last 12 games, including tonight’s contest against the Heat. It’s likely that he remains sidelined through the All-Star break, a source tells Bodner.

Bodner adds that the tear was discovered after the Sixers’ win over the Blazers on January 20. During that contest, Embiid landed awkwardly and left the game in the third quarter. Although the big man underwent an MRI after the game and it revealed the diagnosis, it’s possible the tear could have been a pre-existing condition.

Embiid played a week after receiving the diagnosis in a nationally televised game against the Rockets. A source tells Bodner that Embiid was experiencing no pain or discomfort at the time.

Earlier today, Embiid addressed the local media, as Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer relays.

“I’m not healthy,” Embiid said. “I think my [left] knee [has a] bone bruise. It’s been on and off working out. It swells up a little bit, and then it kind of slows down. Like I said, it’s all about patience. But I’m not healthy.”

Embiid attended rapper Meek Mill’s concert on Friday night in Philadelphia where he danced shirtless on stage. He was asked about that event during today’s media session and he said that today was the best he has felt in the past two weeks. He stressed that patience is key in regards to him returning to the court. “I missed two years and we had a lot of patience,” he said. “This is not the time to lose patience.”

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