Sixers Coach Reveals Joel Embiid's Day 1 Practice Status

Joel Embiid’s status for the Philadelphia 76ers might be a mystery every now and then. The veteran center is coming off a second surgery and doesn’t want to take too many risks, as he works his way back to being one-hundred percent for his team.

Heading into training camp, ESPN’s NBA Insider Shams Charania generated some worry across Philadelphia by suggesting there isn’t a concrete timeline in place for Philadelphia’s star big man.

When the Sixers opened up training camp on Saturday morning, Embiid was suited up and ready to go.

Feb 22, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) controls the ball against Brooklyn Nets center Day'Ron Sharpe (20) during the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

“He did participate,” said Sixers head coach Nick Nurse.

“Everything right from the start was live, and he was in there participating in that stuff. He didn’t do everything, but he did quite a bit. I think he probably told you how he’s feeling and how he’s looking. He was moving good and playing hard, and had great spirit out there today.”

Heading into day one of training camp, Embiid revealed that he was going to be extremely cautious heading into the new year. After appearing in fewer than 20 games last season, the veteran center is looking to avoid that type of scenario once again.

“We got a plan in place,” he said on Friday.

“Trying to check off all the boxes so just taking it day-by-day. This is still kind of like a feel period where we’re just taking it day by day. Keep getting stronger. Keep getting better. There’s been a few court sessions, so everything has been on schedule, but I think with the team we have planned, I think there’s not necessarily an expectation. It’s more about making sure everything is right and doing everything right and then going from there.”

When the Sixers reached training camp last year, Embiid wasn’t able to do much. He ended up missing the entire preseason, along with a chunk of games to begin the 2024-2025 regular season. Ultimately, he realized that a second surgery was required. Embiid’s season ended much sooner than expected.

Joel Embiid working on his corner three at Sixers training day pic.twitter.com/eXoT7syFto
— Declan Harris (@DecIanH) September 27, 2025

With plenty of recovery this time around, Embiid seems to be in good shape so far. The Sixers will have to pay close attention and manage him moving forward, but they are embracing the new plan in place.

“I want to be as honest as possible,” Embiid explained on Friday. “I think going forward, I’m just gonna listen to the body. I’ll be honest and say it’s gonna be unpredictable at times, and that’s OK. We gotta work with that. We gotta take it day-by-day, and go from there.”

The Sixers will be back on the practice court for their second training camp session on Sunday. They are preparing for their first preseason game, which takes place next Thursday against the New York Knicks.