Philadelphia 76ers fans may finally be getting an encouraging sign with Joel Embiid.
The 76ers posted a series of photos to their X page this week of several players on their roster working out. Training camp has not officially started yet, but team facilities are open for offseason workouts.
A couple of photos in the set of the 76ers star center Embiid managed to get everybody talking. In the photos, Embiid looked stunningly slim while he was shooting the basketball and also while talking with rookie teammate VJ Edgecombe.
Take a look for yourself.
Joel Embiid pics from the #Sixers practice today
— Jacob Moreno (@jmoreno76ers) September 16, 2025
(: @sixers) pic.twitter.com/JXSbLzZ3o6
The former NBA MVP Embiid, now 31 years old, is officially listed at seven feet and 280 pounds. His weight has been a topic of conversation for much of his career, especially the earlier part when Embiid was regularly criticized for supposedly being out of shape.
An oft-injured player as well, Embiid appeared in just 19 games last season due to persistent left knee issues. The news seemingly got even worse earlier this offseason as well with negative reports emerging about Embiid’s knee despite the extended time off. 76ers head coach Nick Nurse also admitted in a recent interview that he was unsure if Embiid would be ready for the start of training camp.
That said, shedding some pounds and having less weight to put on his troublesome knees could do Embiid a world of good. With the seven-time All-Star still owed a gigantic $187.6 million over the next three seasons, the 76ers have to be feeling encouraged about the potential of a slimmed-down Embiid moving forward.
