By Declan HarrisShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberOn Wednesday night, the Philadelphia 76ers welcomed the Cleveland Cavaliers into the Wells Fargo Center for the first of two matches this week.
Just ahead of tip-off, former MVP Joel Embiid was named to the Sixers’ starting lineup, after being listed as probable on the team’s injury report in the build-up to the match due to injury management and left adductor soreness.
It wouldn’t take long for the star center to get the ball rolling, as he drained a three-point shot early on in the first quarter, with that triple bringing his career point total to 13,000. This makes Embiid the seventh player in Philadelphia’s history to reach that mark, joining the likes of Charles Barkley, Julius Erving, Allen Iverson, and Dolph Schayes, amongst others.
Elsewhere in the current NBA, hitting the 13,000 mark means that Embiid is closing in on players such as Jayson Tatum (13,784), Khris Middleton (13,142), and Luka Doncic (13,914).
How has Embiid been performing this season?
This recent feat has been the latest highlight in what has been quite the bounce-back season for the Cameroonian, who has only missed a small stint in November. This is in stark comparison to the 19 games Embiid was limited to in the 2024-25 season, due to various injuries.
...Across the 20 games that Embiid has appeared in this season, he’s been averaging 23.7 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, with flashes of his former dominance scattered throughout, including four performances of 30 or more points.
Embiid’s continued presence has been a bright part of the Sixers success this season, currently sitting in the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference. These efforts can be reflected in the fan voting numbers for the NBA All-Star game, with Embiid receiving over 200,000 fan votes according to the second return in early January.
While these numbers are a fraction of what his teammate Tyrese Maxey has received through the first two returns, it’s more than enough evidence that, given his efforts this season, there’s still a lot of love for the Big Fella in South Philadelphia.
For all the latest NBA news and rumors, head over to Newsweek Sports.
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