Joel Embiid did not grow up dreaming of the NBA. He played volleyball in Cameroon and only began playing basketball seriously in his mid-teens.
Embiid was born in Yaoundé on 16 March 1994. He was tall and athletic, and at a basketball camp run by the Cameroonian NBA player Luc Mbah a Moute in 2011, his size and skill caught attention. He moved to the United States to play high school basketball in Florida, then spent one season at the University of Kansas.
The Process
The Philadelphia 76ers picked Embiid third in the 2014 draft despite a foot injury. He missed his first two seasons because of injuries. The 76ers were losing on purpose at the time to collect draft picks, a strategy known as “the Process”. Fans chanted “Trust the Process”, and Embiid adopted it as his nickname.
The same year he was drafted, his younger brother Arthur was killed in a car accident in Cameroon. Embiid has spoken often about the loss.
The star
When Embiid finally played, he became one of the league’s most dominant centres, combining size with footwork, a soft shooting touch and a knack for drawing fouls. He was selected for multiple All-Star games and led the league in scoring.
Embiid has said he learned much of his footwork by watching videos of Hakeem Olajuwon, the Nigerian-born Houston Rockets great. Off the court he became known for his sharp humour on social media, where he teased opponents and fans alike.
In 2023, he won the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award, the first African-born player to win it since Hakeem Olajuwon in 1994.
The Olympics
Embiid held Cameroonian, French and American citizenship and could have played for any of the three. He chose the United States and won Olympic gold at the Paris 2024 Games. The choice disappointed some in France, where crowds booed him during the tournament.
Injuries
Injuries have repeatedly interrupted Embiid’s career, especially at playoff time, and knee problems have cost him large parts of several seasons.
Cameroon
Embiid has remained connected to Cameroon and has appeared at NBA events in Africa. He is part of a wave of African players, including Pascal Siakam and Giannis Antetokounmpo, who have reshaped the league.
A volleyball player from Yaoundé became the best player in the NBA. Twelve years separated his first camp from the MVP trophy.
