Andre Drummond calls Joel Embiid the best center in the NBA

“I take pride in it,” Drummond said of being able to serve as a role model of sorts for Bona. “When I got here, I pulled him aside and said, ‘I’m not here to tell you what to do or change your game. If you ever want any type of advice, what to do in the post, just ask.’ And he’s done a great job of just pulling me aside, like, ‘Hey, what do you think about this?’ “I’ll bring him [to the gym] at nighttime and we’ll work out together, too. So our relationship is very tight from day one.” -via Philly Voice / October 1, 2024

Sean Barnard: Andre Drummond is asked about the Sixers rebounding issues and how he can help- “I think that’s why I’m here. I’m the best rebounder to every play the game.” After a brief pause he doubles-down and says “You wanna record that? Yeah, I’m the best rebounder ever.” -via x.com / September 30, 2024

Adam Aaronson: At Joel Embiid’s “Block Party” at the Sixth Man Center. Plenty of teammates here to support, including Paul George, Tyrese Maxey, Andre Drummond, KJ Martin and Guerschon Yabusele. -via Twitter @SixersAdam / September 27, 2024

Embiid will also — begrudgingly — continue to wear a brace on the left knee he injured in January. But while he has always been uncomfortable wearing either a facemask or brace at any point in his career, he said it won’t stop him from doing the things that have made him one of the league’s most dominant forces. “It’s the right thing to do, and the right thing that’s going to give me the support for the rest of my career,” Embiid said. “For me, it’s a mental thing. I hated it. [But] I started telling myself, ‘OK, I have to do it, that’s the only way they’re going to let me play. … “It might not look as good as it used to, with the jab or the pull-up and all that stuff, but it’ll still work.” -via ESPN / October 14, 2024

And after years of watching their superstar center deal with season-defining injuries, the 76ers appear to have ramped up their plan to keep Joel Embiid healthy as he chases the feat eluding his Hall of Fame career. “I’ve accomplished everything [individually],” Embiid told ESPN. “But there’s one thing missing, which is to win a championship.” -via ESPN / October 14, 2024

EMBIID’S CAREER HAS been hampered by ill-timed injuries, most notably in the playoffs. He suffered facial fractures in 2018 and 2022 and knee injuries in 2021 and 2023. Last season, Embiid was on pace to join Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history with more points than minutes played, but a left knee injury in late January forced him out until April with little ramp-up time heading into the postseason. (Embiid also revealed during the first round that he had been playing through Bell’s palsy.) As a result, after the Knicks series ended, Embiid texted Morey. “‘We got to do whatever it takes to make sure that in the postseason I’m healthy,’” Embiid recalled at the team’s media day last month. -via ESPN / October 14, 2024