Fresh-faced Joel Embiid looks unrecognizable without his signature beard and hair

Joel Embiid was once a fresh-faced college basketball prospect.

Now, he is aiming to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to an NBA championship.

Getty

Joel Embiid’s incredible journey from Cameroon to the US

The towering 7-footer was born in Yaoundé, Cameroon, and originally planned to play professional volleyball in Europe.

However, at the age of 15 he took to basketball, modeling his game after Hall of Fame center Hakeem Olajuwon.

Embiid was discovered at a basketball camp by NBA player Luc Mbah a Moute, a fellow native of Yaoundé, and eventually he moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a career in basketball.

He initially enrolled at Montverde Academy before moving to The Rock School, a Christian academy, in Gainesville, Florida, in order to seek more game time.

As a senior, Embiid led the team to a 33–4 record and state championship, averaging 13.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game.

The former five-star recruit then joined the University of Kansas, playing in 28 games for the Jayhawks, averaging 11.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 2.6 blocks in 23.1 minutes per game.

That was good enough to earn Big 12 Defensive player of the year honors, and he was named to the second-team All-Big 12.

Photos from the time show a clean-shaven and youthful looking Embiid still dominating his opponents. Not only that, but his hair is noticeably shorter.

Embiid played for the Jayhawks for just one season before declaring himself NBA ready.

Despite multiple injuries, which have carried over to his NBA career, he was selected third overall by the 76ers.

Getty

Getty

Getty

Getty

Embiid is widely considered to be one of the greatest players in the NBA today, and a Philadelphia legend.

In January, Embiid reached 13,00 career points, becoming the seventh player in franchise history to do reach that milestone, joining Wilt Chamberlain, Allen Iverson, Julius Erving and Charles Barkley.

He was crowned the league’s MVP in 2023, is a two-time scoring champion, and has been named to the All-Star team nine times.

Despite this, he has not been able to get that elusive first championship ring, something the franchise has not been able to capture for almost six decades.

Embiid and Sixers chasing elusive NBA finals win

The 76ers have not won the NBA Finals in 59 years, but they jumped a big first hurdle last week.

Down 3-1, Philly pulled off a stunning comeback in a first-round series with the Boston Celtics, causing Cs star Jaylen Brown to claim the refs had an agenda.

Brown also targeted Embiid in a lengthy rant, accusing him of ‘flopping’ that goes unnoticed.

Getty

Getty

Getty

In the end, Embiid won’t care. He has a job to do, which incidentally became a lot tougher on Sunday.

Not just because of the tragic death of head coach Nick Nurse’s brother, but because the Sixers were comfortably beaten by the New York Knicks in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal matchup.

Embiid finished with 14 points, four rebounds and one assist while shooting 3-for-11 from the field.

Following the loss, the former MVP suggested the previous seven-game series against Boston had taken its toll.

“Coming from the series we had and the physicality we displayed, I would like to think that maybe guys were tired,” Embiid said, via SNY.

“It’s not an excuse though, onto Game 2, you know, down 1-0, so focus on the next one.”

Philly’s ability to rebound quickly will be critical as the series continues. The team trails 1-0 and faces limited time to adjust before Game 2, which takes place on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.

Stay up to date with the NBA across all our talkSPORT platforms – subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest news, opinion, exclusive interviews and our daily unfiltered, unscripted show ‘The S* Word, from 8am ET