Joel Embiid is a popular Cameroonian professional basketball player who plays for the Philadelphia 76ers. He played college basketball for Kansas Jayhawks and a year later he emerged as an NBA regular player when picked by the 76ers in the 2014 NBA Draft. Embiid missed two seasons during 2016-17 due to multiple foot and knee injuries. Now, he is considered one of the most successful NBA players in history.
Early Life, Family & Education
Embiid was born on March 16, 1994, to Thomas Embiid and his wife, Christine, in Yaoundé, Cameroon. His father was a military officer where mother is a homemaker. Luck Mbah a Moute, a fellow Yaounde resident, met him at a basketball camp. At the age of 16, he moved to the United States to pursue his dream of becoming a basketball player. He led his squad to a 33-4 record and a state championship as a senior at The Rock School in Gainesville, Florida.
Joel Embiid Career
Embiid started his career by joining college football. Later he attended many leagues and national competitions. After that, he got a chance to play in NFL. He was selected with the third overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers. He underwent surgery on a broken navicular bone in his right foot on 20 June 2014 and was ruled out for four to six months. He missed the entire 2014–15 season due to a broken bone, and the 2015–16 season after further surgery on his foot. On 26 October 2016, Embiids made his long-awaited NBA regular-season debut in the 76ers’ season opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
On 19 November, he scored a career-high 26 points in 20 minutes in a 120–105 win over the Phoenix Suns. On 1 December, he was named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for games played in October and November. He set a new career-high with 33 points in a 108–107 win over a Brooklyn Nets game on 18 December. On 3 January 2017, he was named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for games played in December. He is the highest-selected player from Cameroon in NBA history.
Personal Life
Embiid passed his saddest part of life when his younger brother, Arthur, died on 16 October 2014 in Cameroon in a car crash. In addition to English, Embiid is fluent in French and Basaa. He has been in a relationship with Brazilian model Anne de Paula since 2018. In September 2020, he and de Paula welcomed their first child, a son.
Physical Appearance
Embiid is quite popular for his toned-up masculine body. His gym trainer stated that he spent a lot of time keeping his body fit for the next play.
Some Lesser Facts:
- Embiid is actively involved in charity works
- He enjoys Turkish films so much.
