The Philadelphia 76ers bad injury news got worse on Thursday as the team announced that star center Joel Embiid would need facial surgery to repair a fracture below his left eye.
Embiid’s fate is especially cruel for a number of reasons, first and foremost that he was cruising along in his second full season as a pro. Embiid also suffered a concussion, which further muddies the timeline for his return. And the injury came on what amounted to friendly fire: Markelle Fultz, fresh back from a long injury rehab of his own, hit Embiid in the face with his shoulder to cause the injury.
Embiid’s first social media post after the incident was not positive, but he rebounded after it was officially known he would need surgery. The Process posted on Twitter Thursday night, saying he will be “more than fine” and trying to joke about yet another injury for one of the game’s most promising forwards.
I guess I gotta trust “The Process” that I’ve been preaching… Unfortunate freak accident but I’ll be more than fine. Injuries jokes coming in 3,2,1 #TheProcess #Two-Face pic.twitter.com/6Q2wXaOC6C
— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) March 30, 2018
Embiid calling it a freak accident is accurate, and it really is bad luck for the Sixers all around. It’s thought that he could miss a month with the injury, but as of Thursday, Embiid remains in the concussion protocol and his health is more important than anything at this point.
Embiid is right about one thing: He can come back and make jokes about his mask if he has to wear one. But Sixers fans, as desperately as they want Embiid back on the floor, want him to come back at 100 percent. Looks like The Process isn’t all positive these days, but Embiid still wants fans in Philly to trust it.
