Joel Embiid Clears NBA Concussion Protocol

On Friday morning, the Philadelphia 76ers received positive news regarding their five-time All-Star center Joel Embiid.

After spending the last week in the NBA's concussion protocol, the star center has been cleared to participate in team activities, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

Last Thursday, the Sixers looked to close out their first-round playoff series with a Game 6 matchup against the Toronto Raptors.

In the midst of a blowout win, Embiid took an elbow to the face, which caused the big man to suffer an orbital fracture and a mild concussion.

Once Embiid received his official diagnosis last Friday, he was ruled out indefinitely. When the Sixers traveled to Miami last Sunday ahead of their Game 1 matchup against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference semifinals, Embiid didn't make the trip as he remained in concussion protocol.

As expected, Embiid missed the first two games of the second-round series against the Heat. Following Philadelphia's Game 2 loss on Wednesday night, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers revealed that Embiid still had some obstacles to overcome before returning to the court.

“I really don’t know, honestly,” said Rivers on Wednesday when asked if Embiid could return Friday. “We talked yesterday, and we talked today on FaceTime. He looked good as far as talking, but there’s no — he’s got so many steps to go through. I don’t think he’s cleared any of them right now. So, we just have to wait and see.”

When the Sixers released their injury report for Game 3 on Thursday night, Embiid was listed as out for the third-straight game. At the time, Embiid wasn't cleared to return to the team's practice facility just yet.

On Friday morning, that changed. As the Sixers participated in the shootaround session, Embiid was an active member as he was cleared from the concussion protocol. However, his playing status remains the same.

As of Friday morning, Embiid remains out against the Heat in Game 3. According to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, his status could change as the day progresses. The Sixers are set to tip-off against the Heat at 7 PM ET.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.