76ers Star Joel Embiid Admits He ‘Forgot How to Play Basketball’

Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers recently admitted that he "forgot how to play basketball" during a slow start in his team's first home game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on October 22. The center went 3 of 10 from the field, scoring nine points before the break, before improving to 5 of 6 for 15 points in the second half as the Sixers emerged victorious with a 114-106 win.

Embiid attributed his initial sluggish performance to trying to "figure out my spots," and admitted that it felt as if he had been out of action for so long that he had forgotten how to play the game. Despite finishing with 24 points on 8-of-16 shooting and seven rebounds over 34 minutes, Embiid's comments on the slow start raised eyebrows, as the Sixers had committed 14 turnovers at the time, twice the amount they had given up in their previous game against the New York Knicks.

Embiid went on to praise the team's resilience, stating that it was "probably a top-five night for me since I’ve been in Philadelphia," and noting that it was a "top-three player I’ve ever played with" when talking to LeBron James about their on-court chemistry. The Sixers will face the Milwaukee Bucks in their next game on October 24 for a back-to-back matchup.