CAMDEN, N.J. — As the Philadelphia 76ers prepare for the 2025-26 season, the focus will be on getting healthy. The Sixers will need their stars to be on the floor to give themselves a shot at climbing back into contention in the Eastern Conference.

Joel Embiid, the superstar big man and 2023 MVP winner, was limited to only 19 games in the 2024-25 season due to a bothersome left knee injury. As the big fella prepares for another season, he knows he has to be the guy to lead the Sixers to the mountaintop, but he also has a desire to help the younger big men such as Adem Bona, Johni Broome, Jabari Walker, and Dominick Barlow.

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“Like I said, I’m here to make those guys better,” said Embiid. “To help them grow. Teach them, but they work hard. They show up early. They work hard. They go about their work the right way. Good people. Good kids. So, just gotta keep going.”

Guys like Bona and Broome will certainly benefit from being around a guy like Embiid. The two young bigs can step in and learn from one of the top players in the league and the Sixers have to hope they can soak up any knowledge they can and, most importantly, ask questions.

“Yeah! Yeah. Of course,” Embiid said of the younger players asking him anything. “Whether I see something or whether they ask me questions. Obviously, I’m always open to provide any insight.”

Embiid has made mistakes in his career. He knows it. He owns up to it. He wants to make sure the younger Sixers don’t repeat the same mistakes. He wouldn’t go into any specifics, but he compared basketball to fatherhood in a way.

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“I’m not gonna share with you guys, but it’s about being a pro,” Embiid explained. “We’ve all made mistakes in the past. You learn from it and you move on. You try to do a better job of becoming a better player and a better man every single day. That’s the same thing as a father. Having your first kid, your second kid, your third kid. You learn and learn and keep going as a father. Really, it’s the same thing.”

As Embiid grows, he is becoming the leader, which is an important factor for the Sixers heading into the new season. He wants to teach the younger players to make strides and develop into their own in this league.

“Teaching them about some of the same stuff that I wish I could’ve done different, and then some stuff, you really can’t really do anything about it,” Embiid finished. “Like, injuries for example. You can’t really control jumping and landing on someone’s foot or twisting your knee or twisting your ankle, but there’s stuff that you can do to prepare for when that happens so those things might not be as bad as it could be if you prepare yourself.”

The Sixers will begin the preseason on Thursday at 12 p.m. EDT against the New York Knicks.

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Joel Embiid speaks on wanting to help Sixers young big men grow