- Embiid has barely played this season due to his injury problems.
Joel Embiid raised injury concerns again on Christmas Day when he suffered a big fall before facing the Celtics in Boston.
The Sixers center, who is playing in just his ninth game of the season Wednesday night, was seen taking a step back during warmups when he fell backwards onto a safety rope running down the sideline.
Embiid fell to the ground and could be seen holding his ankle before being helped by his teammates.
amateurs disputed why the rope was so close to the court and Embiid was missing from the court minutes before the game, according to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated.
However, the seven-time All-Star eventually returned to the court and was able to start the game for the Sixers.
He would go on to score 18 points and grab six rebounds in the first half.
Joel Embiid fell to a rope near the court while trying to do a backflip
Embiid was seen holding his ankle after the bizarre fall, but was able to start the game for Philadelphia.
Embiid is playing only his ninth game of the 2024-25 season due to injuries
It's been an injury-filled season for Embiid, who missed the entire preseason due to what the team deemed “left knee injury management.”
He missed the first nine games of the season before making his debut, and also missed seven straight games from late November to early December to manage swelling in his left knee.
And the injury woes wouldn't end there for Embiid, as he suffered a fractured sinus on December 13 following a collision with Markelle Fultz.
He returned to court a week later wearing a protective mask, which he was also seen wearing on Christmas Day.
Injuries aside, it's been a tumultuous season for Embiid, who was also suspended three games in November for shoving a reporter.
Marcus Hayes of the Philadelphia Inquirer had mentioned Embiid's late brother, Arthur, in a column about the center's unavailability for his team.
Embiid has never played more than 68 games in a regular season for the Sixers; appeared in only 39 last year.
The 30-year-old also shouted at a referee this week before being sent off.