NBA MVP and Olympic champion Joel Embiid signs contract extension with the 76ers worth over 1600 crores

A seven-time NBA All-Star, Embiid and the 76ers agreed to a USD 193 million extension with a player option for the 2028-29 season, a person familiar with the deal said.

Published : Sep 20, 2024 20:26 IST , PHILADELPHIA - 7 MINS READ

Embiid — still in the second year of a USD 196 million extension he signed ahead of the 2021 season — became the third cornerstone player this offseason to sign a massive contract with the 76ers. 
Embiid — still in the second year of a USD 196 million extension he signed ahead of the 2021 season — became the third cornerstone player this offseason to sign a massive contract with the 76ers.  | Photo Credit: AP
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Embiid — still in the second year of a USD 196 million extension he signed ahead of the 2021 season — became the third cornerstone player this offseason to sign a massive contract with the 76ers.  | Photo Credit: AP

Already an NBA MVP and an Olympic gold medalist, All-Star center Joel Embiid now has until the end of the decade to try to win his first NBA championship with the Philadelphia 76ers.

With another maximum contract secured, Embiid wants to chase that title in Philly — and remain a Sixer for the rest of his career.

“Philadelphia is home,” Embiid wrote on Instagram.

A seven-time NBA All-Star, Embiid and the 76ers agreed to a USD 193 million (approximately INR 1611 crores) extension with a player option for the 2028-29 season, a person familiar with the deal said.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the terms have not yet been announced.

The 30-year-old Embiid, who graduated from a Florida high school and played a season in college at Kansas, broke his own news early Friday morning when he posted a photo on Instagram of him signing a contract alongside team owner Josh Harris.

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“I want to be here the rest of my career. I love this community and everything you’ve given me and my family,” Embiid wrote. “There is a lot more work to do. You guys deserve a championship and I think we’re just getting started.”

Embiid, who dropped a franchise-record 70 points last season against San Antonio, signed off with the familiar 76ers hashtag, “#trusttheprocess.”

Embiid — still in the second year of a USD 196 million extension he signed ahead of the 2021 season — became the third cornerstone player this offseason to sign a massive contract with the 76ers. The team hasn’t won an NBA title since 1983.

The 76ers enticed Paul George to leave the Los Angeles Clippers and sign a four-year, USD 212 million contract. The NBA’s Most Improved Player last season, Tyrese Maxey, was rewarded with a five-year, USD 204 million extension. The 76ers committed more than USD 400 million in salary to two players they believe position them as the top contender to dethrone the NBA champion Boston Celtics.

George and Maxey both congratulated Embiid on the extension on Instagram.

Throw in Embiid’s deal and the Sixers are counting on a Big Three that can contend for the life of their contracts. Embiid, though, has a history of injuries and has yet to lead to the franchise out of the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Embiid has never played more than 68 games in a season and averaged 34.7 points in just 39 games last season.

Originally selected by the 76ers with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft, Embiid was named NBA MVP in the 2022-23 season and he won a gold medal with Team USA at this year’s Paris Olympics.

Joel Embiid celebrates winning the hold medal for the United States at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Joel Embiid celebrates winning the hold medal for the United States at the Paris 2024 Olympics. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
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Joel Embiid celebrates winning the hold medal for the United States at the Paris 2024 Olympics. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

He has five All-NBA Team honours, seven consecutive All-Star selections from 2017-24, three All-Defensive Team nods, and twice has been the NBA scoring champion.

“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. We’re ecstatic that this extension keeps him and his family in Philadelphia for years to come,” Harris said.

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“Joel is a great family man, leader, and person. He is an elite two-way player with a combination of size, strength, and athleticism that this league has rarely – if ever – seen. He is integral to this franchise’s quest for another NBA Championship, and we are honored that he continues to choose this organization as his NBA home.”

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid dunks during an NBA basketball playoff series against the Brooklyn Nets.
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid dunks during an NBA basketball playoff series against the Brooklyn Nets. | Photo Credit: AP
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Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid dunks during an NBA basketball playoff series against the Brooklyn Nets. | Photo Credit: AP

In 433 games (all starts) with the franchise, Embiid has averaged 27.9 points on 50.4% shooting, 11.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.7 blocked shots across 31.9 minutes per contest.

He ranks first in franchise history in scoring average (27.9 points per game), fifth in blocked shots (720), tied for sixth in triple-doubles (seven), and seventh in total points scored (12,071). Embiid also ranks third on the franchise list with eight 50-point games.

“I had no idea when I was drafted as a 20-year-old kid from Cameroon how lucky I was to be in Philadelphia,” Embiid said in a team statement. “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.”

A youth football (soccer) player, Embiid didn’t pick up a basketball until he was a teenager in Africa, when a friend informed him that very few 7-footers succeed in soccer.

Embiid has five All-NBA Team honours, seven consecutive All-Star selections from 2017-24, three All-Defensive Team nods, and twice has been the NBA scoring champion.
Embiid has five All-NBA Team honours, seven consecutive All-Star selections from 2017-24, three All-Defensive Team nods, and twice has been the NBA scoring champion. | Photo Credit: AP
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Embiid has five All-NBA Team honours, seven consecutive All-Star selections from 2017-24, three All-Defensive Team nods, and twice has been the NBA scoring champion. | Photo Credit: AP

A few months later, Embiid was lured to a basketball camp in the capital of Yaounde run by NBA veteran Luc Mbah a Moute, one of just two players from Cameroon to have played in the NBA.

Mbah a Moute persuaded Embiid’s parents to let him move 6,000 miles to Florida, and helped enroll him at Montverde Academy, one of the best high school programs in the country. He played just 28 games in his lone season at Kansas before leaving for the NBA.

Embiid missed his first two full seasons with injuries before settling in as one of the top big men — and richest players — of his generation.

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