Joel Embiid rejects sacrifice talk in Philadelphia: ‘I’m against the concept’

Joel Embiid has a firm answer for anyone who expects someone in the Philadelphia 76ers’ crowded star group to give something up this season: he doesn’t buy it. After Friday’s preseason finale against the Boston Celtics, the center said, “I’m against the concept of sacrificing,” two days before the opener at Madison Square Garden.

Philadelphia’s camp has been full of talk about how Tyrese Maxey, LeBron James and Embiid fit together, and the idea of sacrifice has followed the group since media day. Embiid’s view, as reports reported, is that the roster works best when nobody is asked to shrink. “I don’t think anybody has to take a back seat,” he added.

JOEL EMBIID. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/hM7atAFC55

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) October 17, 2026

The numbers behind his point

Embiid made his case on the floor first. In the 125-120 overtime loss to Boston on Friday, October 16, he scored 27 points in 29 minutes, adding eight rebounds, five assists, a steal and a block. He hit 7 of 13 shots and went to the line 13 times, making 11, and Philadelphia was six points better with him on the floor.

The stars did not take touches away from each other that night. Maxey scored 22 points on 7-of-11 shooting, was perfect on seven free throws and handed out six assists. James played the facilitator, finishing with eight points, eight rebounds and seven assists, and led the team at plus-17. Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports wrote that the two-man game between Maxey and Embiid looked sharp. The result came against a Celtics side that rested several rotation players, so the box score is a preview rather than a verdict.

It was also a clear step up from Embiid’s first preseason outing against the Brooklyn Nets, where he struggled to find a rhythm.

Not a new position

The stance is consistent with what Embiid said early in camp. Speaking to the Philadelphia Inquirer in the first days of October, he framed it as each player starring in the role he has and leaning on his own strengths, conceding that a player might get fewer touches but also more space. James, for his part, said after Friday’s game that the group is only a couple of weeks into its work together and is still finding its rhythm.

How the touches are shared will become a real question once the games count. Embiid’s view is that the three players’ strengths should add up, with each one helping the others.

What comes next

The 76ers open the regular season at the New York Knicks on Tuesday, October 20, at 7:00 pm ET. Follow it in the Game Center, and see Embiid’s full profile on his player page.