Joel Embiid knows well that any time he stumbles to the floor or heads back to the locker room during a game, it’s a worrisome sight for the Sixers.
After appearing to collide with Pascal Siakam, holding his right leg and exiting the court for a few minutes during the Sixers’ 100-93 comeback win Tuesday night over the Raptors, Embiid decided to briefly ratchet up the alarm bells.
Asked by NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Amy Fadool about his status, Embiid said, “I hurt my back. My back is broken.” (See video above.)
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No, Embiid was not serious. It’s safe to assume the Sixers did not permit him to return to a regular-season game with a broken back.
“Sorry, I was trying to make a Mike Tyson joke,” he continued. “No, I’m fine. Nothing to worry about. We fought through it, and credit to my teammates. They made some big plays. We all did it as a group.”
For those unfamiliar, Tyson told Jim Gray that he broke his back — a “spinal” injury, in his words — after knocking out Clifford Etienne.
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Shortly after speaking with Fadool, Embiid talked with reporters who were naturally curious about his health.
“I’m fine,” he said. “Nothing to worry about. Obviously, it was a great win, so I’m happy about that one.”
What specifically forced him to leave the floor?
“I’m fine,” he said. “Everything’s fine.”
Though Embiid would not reveal any details, we’re confident it wasn’t a broken back.