NBA star Joel Embiid thought he ‘wasn’t going to make it’ during battle with Covid-19

Following his return to the court after being sidelined with Covid, Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid opened up on the toll it took on him.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - NOVEMBER 03: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers celebrates during the first quarter against the Chicago Bulls at Wells Fargo Center on November 03, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

NBA star Joel Embiid has opened up on the tough time he had recovering from Covid-19, revealing at one stage he thought he “wasn’t going to make it”.

The Philadelphia 76ers’ marquee man was diagnosed with Covid earlier this month and was sidelined for nearly three weeks, forcing him to miss nine games.

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The Sixers, who started the season extremely well, struggled in Embiid’s absence, winning only two games and losing seven during the period he was out of action.

Many NBA players have contracted Covid and recovered quickly but that wasn’t the case for Embiid.

Shortly after his diagnosis, Sixers coach Doc Rivers said Embiid was “not doing great”.

The star centre returned to the court yesterday as Philadelphia suffered a 121-120 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Embiid showed no signs of rust, finishing with 42 points and 14 rebounds in a monster first game back.

Speaking post-game, Embiid said having Covid took a huge toll on him, revealing he had trouble breathing and had “headaches worse than migraines”.

“It hasn’t been good,” he said.

“That jawn (Philadelphia slang for almost any noun) hit me hard.”

Joel Embiid feared he wouldn’t survive his battle with Covid. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

“I really thought I wasn’t going to make it,” Embiid added

“It was that bad. So, I’m just thankful to be sitting here. I struggled with it, but I’m just glad I got over it and I’m just here doing what I love with some good people.

“The whole body was just done, I guess. It was not a good time.

“Honestly, I did not think I was going to play tonight after the workout last night.

“Really couldn’t go up and down more than three times. I guess, to me it’s a miracle I even played this many minutes.”

But his efforts weren’t enough to get Philadelphia over the line. Taurean Prince made a clutch layup with four seconds remaining in double overtime to lift the Timberwolves to a one-point victory.

D’Angelo Russell led Minnesota with 35 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns tallied 28 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out.

Anthony Edwards scored 19 and Naz Reid chipped in 13, respectively, as the Wolves scraped home.

Philly missed Embiid dearly during his absence. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

Embiid had a chance to win it but had his shot blocked as time expired in the second overtime.

Minnesota won their sixth-straight game as they were aggressive at both ends of the court. The Timberwolves reached the .500 mark this week for the first time since the opening stretch of the season.

They began the season by winning three of their first four games before a six-game losing streak. The winning streak includes five victories by a double-digit margin.

Tobias Harris added 17 points, Tyrese Maxey had 15 and Seth Curry 14 for the Sixers.

Embiid was runner-up for NBA MVP honours last season when he averaged 28.5 points and 10.6 rebounds in 51 games.

With AFP