Joel Embiid is not trying to rush back to the Philadelphia 76ers after his knee injury but clarified that he is trying to get back on the court as quickly as possible.
Speaking to the media Thursday for the first time since undergoing knee surgery, he said he has every intention of returning before the end of the regular season. He stated that he intends to do so no matter where the 76ers are in the standings.
“That’s the plan,” Embiid said via Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “Obviously, everything has to go right as far as getting healthy and being as close as I’m supposed to be. But yeah, that’s the plan.
“I just love playing basketball. I want to be on the floor as much as possible. I only have about 20 years to do this. So, any chances that I get, I want to be on the floor. So it doesn’t matter where we are [in the standings.] I just want to play as much as I can and try to help us.”
Embiid was once again putting up MVP numbers before knee issues derailed his season. The 76ers are 4-8 since his most recent injury but are still sixth in the Eastern Conference.
Fans were recently given an idea of when the 76ers expect Embiid back. Philadelphia still wants him playing at something close to full strength if possible, since their championship hopes essentially depend on him being mostly healthy.