Joel Embiid’s April Fool’s Day playing status drama continues with follow-up tweet

To prevent any further confusion, Joel Embiid is officially ruled out for the Philadelphia 76ers’ matchup vs. the Washington Wizards. The veteran center made things incredibly confusing on social media after being shocked by this playing status for Wednesday night’s contest. Just gotta love April Fool’s Day, right?

Ky Carlin of USA Today initially reported that the 32-year-old big man was ruled out due to an illness. However, Embiid appeared shocked by the report, asking if it was an April Fool’s joke. The 76ers star seemingly believes he’s fine and was preparing to play.

Several hours later, Embiid posted again on social media, confirming his status for the 76ers’ game vs. the Wizards. The seven-time All-Star is not playing. It is not an April Fool’s Day joke.

“I guess they won’t let me play basketball,” proclaimed Emiid.

The 76ers made the decision to bench Embiid on Wednesday, even though he played in the club’s 119-109 loss to the Miami Heat on Monday. With a spot in the play-in tournament already clinched, perhaps Philadelphia just wants to manage Embiid’s playing time and save him for when it matters most.

With Embiid ruled out, Philly will likely look to Adem Bona and Andre Drummond for more playing time in the front court. Justin Edwards could also see some extended playing time against the Wizards to help fill in for Embiid.

The one-time MVP has played in 36 games this season. Although injuries have plagued his 2025-26 campaign, Embiid has played well whenever he is on the court. This season, Embiid is averaging 26.9 points,7.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 49.5% from the floor and 34.0% from beyond the 3-point line.

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