Joel Embiid heard the words of praise from VJ Edgecombe, which he needed most at a time when everything is going against him. The star center is going through a troubling pattern after awkwardly hitting the ground against the Toronto Raptors.

During this time, his teammates in Philadelphia, VJ Edgecombe in particular, have made a point of reminding the former MVP of what he can still bring to the court. Edgecombe said he regularly tells Embiid that his ability has not disappeared, despite the injuries and struggles that have affected his recent seasons.

“I tell him all the time, you were the MVP of the league bro. You’re that good. I always tell him can stop him. There’s not one person in the NBA that can guard you. You can face up, back to the basket, nobody can guard you. He knows it,” Edgecombe said after Philadelphia's 123-112 win over the Raptors.

Sixers’ VJ Edgecombe says he never stops encouraging Joel Embiid to remember who he is.

“I tell him all the time, you were the MVP of the league bro. You’re that good. I always tell him can stop him. There’s not one person in the NBA that can guard you.

You can face up, back… pic.twitter.com/O4bO4JZ5ch

— PHLY Sixers (@PHLY_Sixers) November 13, 2026

Embiid showed some progress against Toronto, finishing with 20 points on 7-of-17 shooting. It was an encouraging performance after he had failed to reach 20 points in five of his previous six games. He also struggled badly against Cleveland, scoring six points on 0-of-9 shooting.

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Through his first 10 games, Embiid was averaging 17.7 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists while shooting 38% from the field and 12.1% from three-point range. Those numbers remain below the standard he established during his MVP season in 2022-23.

Philadelphia has started the season strongly, and Embiid's improved production could give the team another boost. For now, Edgecombe is making sure his veteran teammate does not lose sight of what made him one of the league's best players.