PHILADELPHIA — After successfully completing a dunk during the Sixers’ open scrimmage, Joel Embiid confirmed the organization has immediately placed his remaining dunk for the 2026-27 season into long-term storage.
Embiid drove to the basket and threw down a left-handed slam before joking afterward that it was “probably the last dunk of my career,” prompting Philadelphia’s medical staff to quietly update his season workload from “carefully managed” to “absolutely no more of that.”
“We got one in October, which was aggressive,” a team source said. “Ideally, the next one happens sometime around late May. Maybe June if things go really well.”
The Sixers have reportedly developed a detailed conservation plan designed to preserve Embiid’s remaining vertical activity for situations in which a layup, floater, jump shot, free throw or extremely persuasive pump fake cannot reasonably accomplish the same objective.
Coaches stressed that Embiid remains cleared to approach the rim, provided he keeps at least one foot emotionally connected to the floor.
Fans were nevertheless encouraged by the sight of the former MVP moving well during camp, particularly after Philadelphia spent much of the offseason emphasizing health, conditioning and the revolutionary concept of having its best players available simultaneously.
At press time, the Sixers were reviewing footage of the dunk to determine whether it could simply be replayed during the postseason instead.
