Philadelphia 76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey announced today that the team has signed Joel Embiid to a multi-year contract extension. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released. “Joel is the definition of elite - a role model in our community and a true MVP-caliber superstar on the court,” said Philadelphia 76ers Managing Partner Josh Harris. “Since he was drafted in 2014, his rare blend of skills, charisma and leadership has transformed this franchise. We couldn’t be more grateful and excited to continue watching him in a 76ers uniform.”
In his fifth season, Embiid appeared in 51 games and ended the season averaging a career-best 28.5 points per game, which ranked fourth in the NBA. That, coupled with shooting .513 from the field, and grabbing 10.6 rebounds per game resulted in his fourth-consecutive All-Star Game selection as a starter. This past season’s numbers also led Embiid to his third career All-NBA Second Team selection, as well as an All-Defensive Second Team nod and runner-up finish in the MVP race.
For his career, Embiid has appeared in 260 regular-season games (all starts), posting 24.8 points, 11.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.7 blocks in 30.6 minutes per game. Embiid along with Hall of Famers Shaquille O’Neal and David Robinson are the only players in NBA history to average at least 24 points and 11 rebounds in their first 260 games. Since entering the league, Embiid has a total of 173 career double-doubles, which ranks second all-time in franchise history since the 1983-84 season. Only Charles Barkley has more such games with 398. Among players that have debuted since 1954-55, Embiid is the NBA’s all-time leader in points per 36 minutes, with an average of 29.3, ranking ahead of Michael Jordan and George Gervin.
This past season, Embiid helped lead the 76ers to the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs after powering the team to the best record in the Eastern Conference at 49-23, clinching the top seed in the East for the first time since the 2000-01 season.
Originally selected with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, Embiid played one collegiate season at Kansas. During his lone season as a Jayhawk, he averaged 11.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game en route to Second Team All-Big 12, Big 12 All-Defense, Big 12 All-Freshman selections along with being named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.