Joel Embiid posted a cryptic Instagram story after the Philadelphia 76ers playoff loss
- The Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid has missed the start of the playoffs due to injury, and after the most recent game he posted an Instagram story saying he's " . . . sick and tired of being babied."
- Embiid has missed a ton of playing time in his career as the Sixers have tried to manage his injuries carefully, but these are by far the biggest games he's sat out.
- The Sixers head coach has said he understands Embiid's frustration.
- There's no clear indication of when he might return. The series is currently tied 1-1.
The Philadelphia 76ers lost Monday night to the Miami Heat in the playoffs with their star center Joel Embiid still out due to an orbital fracture in his left eye.
And an Instagram story posted on his feed indicates that Embiid may be getting frustrated with missing so much crucial playing time.
"F---ing sick and tired of being babied," Embiid wrote in white text over a black background on a story on Monday evening.
The 76ers have treated Embiid with an abundance of caution when it comes to managing injuries during his career. He missed the entirety of his first two seasons during his NBA career and had often had his minutes restricted even when healthy.
But now the Sixers are playing in their first playoff series since before Embiid was drafted, and he may be angry at missing what would have been the biggest games of his young career (not to mention helping push what has been a tight series decidedly in Philadelphia's favor).
"If it was my decision, I would play, but I can't get back out on the court if I don't have the OK from them," Embiid told ESPN reporter Ramona Shelburne, per Ian Begley, also of ESPN. In that same report, Begley wrote that the team, " . . . does not have a clear idea on when Embiid might return."
The Sixers coach Brett Brown, for his part, was sympathetic to Embiid's situation when asked about Embiid's post.
With the series tied 1-1, the Sixers will next play the Heat on Thursday night in Miami. Hopefully if Embiid is still sitting out by then he will at least be back to responding to the situation with his characteristic good humor.