Joel Embiid's second media availability of the regular season — and his first since being reinstated from a three-game suspension and stepping onto the floor for his season debut — was full of Embiid's typical cat and mouse games.
Embiid expressed a desire to play on Wednesday night against the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers despite previously saying he may never play in two legs of a back-to-back again. (He admitted he is a "troll," as he has often said.) Then, he reiterated that his long-term health is far more important than any regular season game.
Embiid was asked whether he expected to play against Cleveland.
"I want to," Embiid said, "But that's up to them."
The next question: how much did he plan to lobby the medical staff to allow him to play in the game?
"I can do whatever I want," Embiid said. "I'm just going to leave it up to them. I'll be pushing."
It would not have been an Embiid postgame media scrum without some hijinks and a trademark Embiid grin, right?
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Here is a batch of other quotes from Embiid on his 2024-25 regular season debut:
• Embiid on how he felt in his first game back:
"I felt okay. The first five minutes were rough, but I guess that’s what happens when you haven't played in a while… Overall, felt pretty good health-wise. I think it's just about trusting myself. I thought I was a little timid, so I stuck with a lot of jumpers just to get myself a little comfortable. As the games go, I'm sure just getting back to myself is going to be easier."
• Embiid on his first game playing alongside Paul George.
"It felt good. I thought tonight, he got a nice rhythm, which we need him to keep doing. Like I said, my job is just trying to make the game easy for all of those guys setting the screens and getting them open, just trying to make the game simple, especially as I'm getting back in and trying to feel more confident."
• Embiid on how he feels about his team amid a 2-8 start to the season:
"We'll be fine… Right now I'm still trying to figure out the best way to help. I came into the season really wanting to let everybody just play and making sure everybody gets open, but at the end of the day, I can also adjust. If I have to do what I did last year, then I'm going to do it. I think it's about us getting on the floor together, letting us play with each other, but health is a big thing. I'm back, [Paul George] is feeling pretty good, we need to get Tyrese [Maxey] back, and once we're all on the floor, I think we'll have a pretty good chance to win games."
• Embiid on what he expects to be the best version of himself again, and whether or not he feels a sense or urgency to get there given the team's poor start to the season:
"When you're 2-8, it's tough. I haven't had that in my career so far… Urgency, sure. But I've also got to understand I have to stay healthy and everybody's getting back."
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