Sixers’ Joel Embiid diagnosed with appendicitis, set for surgery

The 76ers will be without star center Joel Embiid for the foreseeable future after announcing that he has been diagnosed with appendicitis and will undergo surgery Thursday in Houston.

The team initially ruled Embiid out for Thursday’s game vs. the Rockets due to illness before providing the updated diagnosis.

Philadelphia did not offer a firm recovery timeline, noting that updates will come when appropriate. However, an appendectomy is not typically a short-term absence, making it likely Embiid will miss extended time as the regular season winds down.

Recent NBA history offers some context. Players such as Nikola Mirotić and Matthew Dellavedova each missed roughly five to six weeks following in-season appendectomies, while Trey Lyles was unable to return before the end of his team’s season after undergoing the procedure in 2020.

Cavaliers legend Mark Price also underwent an appendectomy during his rookie season in 1986-87. He missed about a month after surgery.

Here is the story from UPI, which I loved reading, on Jan. 12, 1987:

“Cleveland Cavaliers rookie guard Mark Price will be sidelined four to six weeks following emergency surgery for appendicitis, the team announced Sunday night.

“Price, 22, was stricken at his Akron home and was admitted to the Cleveland Clinic, a team spokesman said.

“Team physician Dr. John Lombardo was scheduled to perform the surgery at 10 p.m. EST. The spokesman said an update on Price’s condition would be issued Monday.

“Price is a 6-foot-1 guard from Georgia Tech who was selected by Dallas in the second round and subsequently traded to Cleveland during the draft last June 17. He was averaging 7.1 points and 3.2 assists in 32 games.

“Price, who was married on Christmas Eve, hosted a belated wedding reception along with his wife Laura in Atlanta Saturday night following the Cavaliers’ loss to the Hawks.”

Anyway, the Sixers will have to march on without Embiid yet again, and this one comes at the worst possible time. Philadelphia (43-36) currently sits in eighth in the Eastern Conference, a game back of the sixth-place Raptors.