Philadelphia 76ers center and reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid injured the lateral meniscus on his left knee. He is expected to miss games at least through the weekend, according to an Associated Press report.
Embiid had notably sat out the 76ers' game against the Denver Nuggets in Colorado. The visiting team reported their star was suffering discomfort in his left knee.
In Philadelphia's next game against the Golden State Warriors, Embiid hurt the same knee after Jonathan Kuminga fell on his leg. He underwent an MRI to assess the damage.
Nick Nurse provides an update on Joel Embiid's left knee injury vs. Golden State: pic.twitter.com/sVq4aKWGTy
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) January 31, 2024
In an official release, the NBA fined the 76ers $75,000 for failing to include Embiid on the team’s injury report in an accurate and timely manner for the game against the Nuggets.
The fine takes into account Philadelphia’s prior history of fines for violating injury reporting rules. The league review concluded that there was no violation of the Player Participation Policy because Embiid’s absence was due to a confirmed injury.
The MVP is expected to sit out this Friday's game against the Utah Jazz as well as the weekend game against the Brooklyn Nets.
The injury could also hamper Embiid's chances for a second straight MVP award. The new collective bargaining agreement requires players, in most instances, to play in 65 regular-season games to be eligible for awards such as MVP or the All-NBA teams.
He has already missed 12 games this season.
Embiid is currently the league's leading scorer with 35.3 points per game, along with an average of 11.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists.
He recently made history for the franchise by breaking Wilt Chamberlain's single-game scoring record with 70 points.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
