Joel Embiid discharged from hospital after undergoing appendectomy

76ers Joel Embiid 2026
76ers Joel Embiid 2026Nell Redmond / CTK / AP

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid was discharged from hospital on Friday after an appendectomy, the NBA team said.

The Cameroonian-born big man, who won Olympic gold with the United States in 2024, was diagnosed with appendicitis and underwent surgery in Houston, where the 76ers played the Rockets on Thursday.

The Sixers said Embiid's surgery was successful and his recovery will be managed by team doctors in consultation with his surgeon.

"A timeline for his return to basketball activities has not yet been determined," the team said in a statement.

With Embiid out, the 76ers fell to the Rockets on Thursday. They are eighth in the Eastern Conference with two games to play and have a mathematical chance of rising as high as sixth - and avoiding the play-in tournament altogether - or falling as low as 10th - which would require them to win two play-in games in order to reach the playoffs proper.

Embiid, the NBA Most Valuable Player in 2023, is averaging 26.9 points and 7.7 rebounds in 38 games this season.

The 32-year-old has steadily returned to his top form this season while still missing multiple games to manage long-term injuries as well as new injuries, including an oblique strain and a stress reaction in his right shin.

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