Joel Embiid

Early life

Embiid was born in Yaoundé, Cameroon, to military officer Thomas Embiid and his wife, Christine. He had originally planned to play professional volleyball in Europe but started playing basketball at the age of fifteen, modeling his game after NBA Hall of Fame center Hakeem Olajuwon. Embiid was discovered at a basketball camp by Luc Mbah a Moute, a fellow native of Yaounde and an NBA player. With Mbah a Moute serving as mentor, Embiid moved to the United States at the age of sixteen to devote himself to becoming a professional basketball player.

Embiid enrolled at Montverde Academy, Mbah a Moute's alma mater, but transferred after his first year due to a lack of playing time. Embiid then attended The Rock School, a Christian academy, in Gainesville, Florida. As a senior, he led the team to a 33-4 record and state championship, averaging 13.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game.

He was a five-star recruit according to Rivals.com and committed to Kansas in November 2012.

College career

Embiid attended the University of Kansas for one year. On 13 February 2014, he was named one of the 30 finalists for the Naismith College Player of the Year. In 2013–14, he played 28 games, averaging 11.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 2.6 blocks in 23.1 minutes per game.

On 11 March 2014, ESPN announced that Embiid was expected to miss the Big 12 tournament, and was "unlikely to play the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament" due to a stress fracture in his back. Kansas lost in the third round of the tournament, before Embiid could return.

2014 NBA draft

On 9 April 2014, Embiid declared for the 2014 NBA draft, forgoing his final three years of college eligibility. On 20 June 2014, he underwent surgery on a broken navicular bone in his right foot, and was subsequently ruled out for four to six months. Six days later, he was selected with the third overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers. That selection made him the third Cameroonian-born NBA player after Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje and Luc Mbah a Moute, as well as being the highest selected player from Cameroon.

Philadelphia 76ers (2014–present)

On 26 August 2014, Embiid signed his rookie scale contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. He was later ruled unlikely to play at all in the 2014–15 season due to the broken navicular bone in his foot. After missing the entire 2014–15 season, it was announced on 13 June 2015 that Embiid had suffered a setback in his recovery after a CT scan revealed less healing than anticipated. It was later determined that Embiid's chances of playing in the 2015–16 season were slim following a second round of surgery on his right foot on 18 August 2015. He subsequently missed the entire 2015–16 season as well.

2016–17 season

On 4 October 2016, Embiid started at center in the 76ers' first preseason game against the Boston Celtics. In his first action, he recorded six points, four rebounds and two blocks in 13 minutes en route to a 92–89 victory.

On 26 October 2016, Embiid made his long-awaited NBA regular-season debut in the 76ers' season opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder. In 25 minutes as the starting center, he recorded 20 points, seven rebounds and two blocks in a 103–97 loss. On 1 November, he recorded his first career double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds in a 103–101 loss to the Orlando Magic. On 11 November, his 25-point effort helped the 76ers claim their first win of the season, defeating the Indiana Pacers 109–105. 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. On 18 December, he set a new career high with 33 points in a 108–107 win over the Brooklyn Nets. On 3 January 2017, he was named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for games played in December.

On 11 January 2017, Embiid grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds in a 98–97 win over the New York Knicks. On 23 January, he was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played Monday, 16 January through Sunday, 22 January. Two days later, he was named in the World Team for the 2017 Rising Stars Challenge. On 2 February 2017, he was named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for games played in January, while also being named a Taco Bell Skills Challenge participant. On 11 February 2017, it was revealed that Embiid had a torn meniscus in his left knee, but that surgery would not be required. As a result of the injury, Embiid was ruled out of the All-Star Weekend festivities. After initially ruling him out indefinitely on 27 February with swellness in his left knee, the 76ers issued a statement two days later announcing that Embiid would miss the rest of the 2016–17 season—an MRI on his left knee revealed that the area affected by the bone bruise had improved significantly, while the previously identified meniscus tear appeared more pronounced. On 24 March 2017, he underwent successful minor arthroscopic surgery to address a meniscus tear in his left knee. At the season's end, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

National team career

Embiid is eligible to compete for Cameroon national basketball team. On February 7, 2017, Embiid was named to the preliminary team to compete in the 2017 FIBA AfroBasket in the Republic of Congo, with the group qualifier taking place in March, during the NBA regular season. If Cameroon advances to the actual tournament in August, Embiid may be able to play. Fellow Cameroon-born NBA player Luc Mbah a Moute has voiced his opinion on Embiid representing his country saying, "It would be great for our team, our country and Joel".

Personal life

Embiid is the son of Thomas and Christine Embiid. His younger brother, Arthur, died on 16 October 2014 in Cameroon in a car crash. He also has a younger sister named Muriel. In addition to English, Embiid is fluent in French and Basaa.