Joel Embiid agrees to NBA contract extension with Philadelphia 76ers
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Joel Embiid celebrates on the podium after winning Olympic gold at the Paris Games.
PHOTO: AFP
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WASHINGTON – Joel Embiid has signed a contract extension with the Philadelphia 76ers, the team announced on Sept 20, with the Cameroon-born centre saying that he wants to stay a Sixer for his entire National Basketball Association (NBA) career.
Multiple reports said the deal was a maximum extension for three years and worth about US$193 million (S$249 million) that would keep him with the Sixers up till the 2028-29 campaign.
“Philadelphia is home. I want to be here for the rest of my career,” Embiid posted on his Instagram account.
“I love this community and everything you’ve given me and my family. There is a lot more work to do. You guys deserve a championship and I think we’re just getting started!”
Embiid, the 2023 NBA Most Valuable Player, is 2.13m and a seven-time NBA All-Star who helped the United States win Olympic gold in Paris. The two-time NBA scoring champion, set to begin his ninth NBA campaign in October, reiterated in a statement he wants to bring the Sixers their first NBA crown since 1983.
“I started a Sixer and want to be right here for the rest of my career,” the 30-year-old said. “I had no idea when I was drafted as a 20-year-old kid from Cameroon how lucky I was to be in Philadelphia. Through all the ups and downs, this city and the fans have been everything and I am so grateful for how they’ve embraced me. Philadelphia is home and it’s time to bring this community an NBA championship.”
Embiid averaged career highs in points (34.7), assists (5.6) and steals (1.2) in the 2023-24 season while averaging 11.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocked shots. He also had career-high accuracy from three-point range (38.8 per cent) and the free-throw line (88.3 per cent).
“Joel has cemented himself as one of the greatest Sixers of all time and is well on his way to being one of the best players to ever play the game,” Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey said.
“We’re ecstatic that this extension keeps him and his family in Philadelphia for years to come.
“He’s an elite two-way player with a combination of size, strength, and athleticism that this league has rarely, if ever, seen. He’s integral to this franchise’s quest for another NBA championship and we’re honoured that he continues to choose this organisation as his NBA home.”
Embiid, the third pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, has averaged 27.9 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.7 blocked shots over 433 games with the Sixers.
Philadelphia have qualified for the play-offs in each of the past seven seasons but have not reached the Eastern Conference Finals during the run. AFP
