Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid has been sidelined since January 4 with a torn radial collateral ligament in his left hand, but that did not stop him from being voted in as an All-Star starter on Thursday. He is the first Sixer since Allen Iverson to be named an All-Star for three straight seasons so it’s a pretty big deal.
“It was great,” said Embiid when he saw his name called. “Third time in a row. A lot of us don’t get that opportunity, so I was happy. I was excited.”
Another big deal is the fact that Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam will be joining him in the starting lineup. Embiid and Siakam are both from the country of Cameroon so this is a pretty big deal for the Sixers big man.
“I was more excited about Pascal,” he added. “Two guys from Cameroon, we barely started playing basketball about nine years ago so to see us, especially as starters, it means a lot. I’m proud to be from Cameroon and from Africa and be representing.”
As mentioned above, Embiid has not played in a game since January 4. He did return to practice on Friday in hopes of returning shortly and since the game is on February 16 in Chicago, he plans to play in the All-Star game as well.
“Yeah, I’m doing the progress necessary,” he said. “I feel great. My finger feels good so I’m not too concerned about what the All-Star game is going to look like. Right now, we are 6th in the East so hopefully, by next week I am able to play.”
Embiid will miss Saturday’s big matchup with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, but he will be reassessed on Monday in hopes of returning soon. After the Lakers, the Sixers host the Golden State Warriors and then head out on the road to face the Atlanta Hawks to begin a four-game road trip. [lawrence-related id=24150,24131,24110]