Despite expressing a desire to play, Joel Embiid was a DNP when the Philadelphia 76ers faced the Washington Wizards on Wednesday. Embiid missing a game here and there is already standard, but this time in particular, it’s sparked controversy.
The Sixers center has spoken up about it already, and he’s put Sixers president Daryl Morey on the spot with his statement.
Joel Embiid Explains Why He Wanted to Play Against the Wizards
Embiid was back in the Sixers’ rotation after missing 13 straight games from March 1 through 23. He played in his team’s next three games but was once again sidelined against the Wizards on Wednesday.
The Sixers star himself appeared stunned by the decision, as evidenced by his post on X (formerly Twitter). Morey later explained that the reasoning behind this latest DNP was that Embiid felt too sick to attend the team’s film session ahead of the game.
Aside from his earlier social media post, the Cameroonian center also answered media questions about the situation.
“I was pissed off. I wanted to play basketball,” Embiid said. “I wasn’t allowed to play basketball, so I think this is more of a question for Daryl Morey and whoever makes the decisions.”
He also explained that he was indeed feeling ill, but not to the extent that he could not play. “I think going into Miami, I was pretty sick, but I understood how important the game was, and I still wanted to give us a chance to go out and try to do something.”
“[I] felt a bit better going into Washington. Definitely much better than I felt against Miami,” he added. “I woke up, didn’t sleep until five or six in the morning. With that, couldn’t make it to shootaround. After that, I found out online that I wasn’t playing.”
Joel Embiid was asked about why he didn’t play against Washington on Wednesday. He did not hold back.
“I was pissed off. I wanted to play basketball. I wasn’t allowed to play basketball. I think this is more of a question for Daryl Morey.”
Full answer 👇 pic.twitter.com/klleKW9NUy
— PHLY Sixers (@PHLY_Sixers) April 4, 2026
Head coach Nick Nurse has also made a statement to clarify the situation. He reiterated that Embiid did, in fact, fail to report to the film session ahead of Wednesday’s game. The team wanted him to see a doctor, and they had decided to sit him out against the Wizards.
The NBA is investigating a similar situation unfolding with a different Eastern Conference team, as the Milwaukee Bucks are under fire for potentially violating the NBA’s player participation policy with Giannis Antetokounmpo’s injury drama.
