Philadelphia 76ers Postgame Media Availability 🎙️ | Joel Embiid | 10.25.25

Philadelphia 76ers Postgame Media Availability 🎙️ | Joel Embiid | 10.25.25

Joel, how much better did you feel just physically and and in terms of like the force that you were able to play with tonight versus the game in Boston? Um, I didn’t I didn’t necessarily feel better. Um, I thought um, you know, obviously I’m on heavy metal restrictions, so I came in the first game trying to obviously first game in a couple months. So, I know I played it preseason, but it’s not it’s not the same. It’s not even close. Um, you know, trying to walk my way, you know, back and trying to figure it out. Um, you know, first game in month, obviously, it’s easier when you make shots like I did tonight. Uh, it looks better, but I I think it was just the same. And then tonight, you know, the first game it was more like, uh, get in the game, you know, slowly, you know, figure it out. Tonight it was more like well um I only got 20 minutes. Um I mean the one thing that I don’t like about the minute restrictions is because you know you you know you only got you know three or four stints and you coming out. So that makes me put myself kind of like not necessarily at risk but kind of like push myself. And you know, the first game I I didn’t fall down. And today I fell down like, you know, five times. Um because I was just trying to, you know, I’m like, I only got this amount of minutes. If I don’t have if I don’t make an impact, then I’m not going to get the chance and, you know, I’m not going to do anything in 20 minutes. So that’s the bad look when it comes to that. Uh but same feeling, just getting used to playing basketball again. And um but it looks better when you’re making shots. In Boston, it was short stints to start each quarter. Tonight, they were more aggressive with your minutes early. I think 15 up to 20 in the first half. Do you prefer having like one semi-normal half and then one stint versus shorter stints, or would you rather be playing as long as you can? Well, I rather not have many restrictions, but you know, but I rather get out of the way. Um, the longer I sit, the short instance, you don’t get in the rhythm. You play two, three minutes and you got to get out. That’s like two or three up and down. That’s literally nothing. Uh I might as well just stay home and you know be with my family. Um and you know longer stints you’re actually able to let the game come to you. Um but then again longer stance also means you might be done by halftime. Um but I can’t sit for too long. Um and you know I you you know being in shape is one thing but being in basketball shape is another thing. You need to play and you need to play a lot. Um so uh instead of you know playing six minutes and sitting another 10 minutes and coming back and playing another six minutes that’s you’re not going to go nowhere. So but I guess I trust them and um until I’m over it I’m going to keep trying. Do you have any sense of do you have any sense to all of the time frame in terms of how long it’ll be on a limit or if it’ll start to go up at some point or are you just kind of going day by day and seeing what they what the plan is? I have no idea. I just I make my case every day. Um, you know, if they listen to me, good. If they don’t, I guess that’s on them. Was it like to watch Drummond do what he did tonight? Great. Extremely happy for him. Obviously, last year everybody had a tough year. Um but you know like coaches say um trying to figure it out uh everybody fits in and who can help. Um extremely happy for him, proud of him. Uh great effort. Um you know wouldn’t have won that game you know without them. So it was good to see and that’s a drum that you know we won it back you know two years ago and uh we just need to keep doing it every night. Not just but what’s the general feeling? You know, it’s only two games, but the team is playing better when you’re not playing, which was a big problem last year, obviously. It’s been 12 years, so I’ll take it. It’s been just got to keep it going. Obviously, the most important games are, you know, the best teams and the playoffs. Um, you know, if that’s the effort we’re going to have, you know, when I’m on I’m not on the floor. Amen. It’s been it’s been a long time. When you see a guy like VJ who he’s not scoring the same way he did in game one, but he’s still managing to impact the game in so many different ways. Uh you know, just what’s really your message to him and really how to keep that up and and can you just kind of express what it’s like to watch him kind of grow into his young career? Environment mentality. Uh whether shots are going in or not, always play the right way. Uh make the right plays. Uh I think tonight had like what, eight assists. Um, yep. He had assists. Um, so letting the game come to him in Boston, he made shots, he attacked. I thought tonight he was a little um shy. Uh, not shy, but he wasn’t attacking enough. Uh, so just got to keep going. You got space, attack. He’s way too athletic for someone to be in front of him. Uh, and then once he jumps, you you got no chance. So, got to keep being aggressive, but also let the game come to you. And that’s what he did tonight. Uh, and every night, uh, I said it after the first game. Um, every night might be Tyrese, might be me, might be him, might be someone else. Um, but, you know, still got to do, still got to play the right way. Um, you know, some nights you’re not going to score else you going to contribute. And he’s doing it defensively and sharing the ball. This is the second night that you guys showed a lot of resilience in erasing the double game in the fourth in the fourth quarter. You know, just kind of what goes into that and you know, just kind of just playing hard, just staying with it and just chopping away. I think everybody just playing hard. Um, you know, this year we wanted to um, you know, we want to make sure that, you know, like, you know, when everybody shows up, you got a job to do. We’re playing hard, win or lose. Even tonight, even if we would have lost, still would have been proud of the guys. Um, you know, defensive effort is right there. Uh, offensively making the right plays. Um, still playing the right way. At the end of the day, it’s all going to pay off. I guess just just to go back to BJ, uh, in terms of like his mindset, like have you noticed that he’s maybe a little more mature maybe for his age than maybe like other players coming into the league at such a young age? No, I wouldn’t say he’s mature. He’s he’s learning. He’s young. Um I think one of one of his two of his main attributes um where I know he has a chance is he just works hard and he’s he listens. Uh he wants to learn, always asking questions. Um even though they might be dumb sometimes. Uh but you know, he’s willing to learn and and he listens. Um you know, and that’s going to go a long way. Um but he has the right mindset. Um, so yeah, just got to keep going. He’s only been two games. Um, but he has a has a high ceiling. Thank you, Joel. Thanks, Joel.

Joel Embiid speaks to the media following a win over the Charlotte Hornets.

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