It was a welcome sight for the Philadelphia 76ers fans in Delaware as they saw their superstar center, Joel Embiid, take to the court in front of some spectators for the first time since February. The 7′ 280 pound Cameroonian had been out of action since he injured his left knee last season.
Though Embiid initially resumed playing on February 4 after sitting out for 15 games due to the lingering pain in his knee, three weeks later, the big man couldn’t bear the recurring knee pain anymore. As a result, the 76ers announced that he would be sidelined for the remainder of the campaign.
Embiid underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in April and has been steadily working on his rehab since then. On Sunday, he was seen for the first time on court participating in the team’s annual Blue-White scrimmage with his fellow 76ers teammates at the G-League affiliate’s facility in Delaware.
Joel Embiid Is Back on Court for the First Time Since February
A video surfaced on the internet showing Embiid in action on the court for the annual team scrimmage. He shared multiple videos of the Cameroonian playing effortless basketball in front of the Sixers fans and looking more agile and healthier than last season.
Joel Embiid looking healthy during 76ers scrimmage pic.twitter.com/MgtDBlePUh
— NBAbzy (@nbabzyy) October 13, 2025
Another video of Embiid from the scrimmage surfaced online. In it, he can be seen pulling off an excellent one-on-one move against Johni Broome for an easy deuce from near the free-throw line.
Though Embiid hasn’t been fully cleared to play high-intensity basketball yet, the videos from scrimmage look more promising than ever, as the front office staff and the fans believe their star man could return to the on-court action in the upcoming season earlier than expected. Last offseason, Joel signed a three-year, $193 million contract extension that will see him stay in Philadelphia until at least the 2028-29Â NBA season.
76ers Head Coach Was Impressed Watching Embiid Take to the Hardwood
After the Blue-White scrimmage, Philadelphia Inquirer’s Gina Mizell interviewed head coach Nick Nurse to get his reactions to either team’s performance in the intrasquad scrimmage, especially the performance of their star man, Embiid.
An elated Nurse said, “I was kind of prepared for that [crowd reaction] today. I knew this would be the first time you guys [the media] or the public would have seen him for a long time.”
He added, “And then he went out there and did his thing. He shot the ball well. He scored well. He orchestrated the offense well. I thought he ran pretty good, as well, both directions.”
After having lost their first three preseason games, the 76ers will be in action next against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Xfinity Mobile Arena on Friday. This will be their last preseason game before the opening night.
