10 things about NBA player Joel Embiid from Yaounde

Joel Hans Embiid is a Cameroonian professional basketball player. He is a citizen of Cameroon, France and the United States.

BIOGRAPHY

Embiid was born in Yaoundé, Cameroon to Thomas Embiid, a military officer, and Christine Embiid. Thomas is a military officer. When Joel was young, he played volleyball and soccer.

In 2014, Joel made his National Basketball Association debut. Here are 10 more things about him:

1. He attended Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida, USA for one year then moved to The Rock School in Gainesville, Florida.
2. He and Anne de Paula have a son together.
3. He was discovered at a basketball camp by his fellow Yaoundé native Luc Mbah a Moute, who played in the NBA from 2008 to 2020.
4. In 2010, he moved to the U.S.
5. In 2014, he joined the Philadelphia 76ers.
6. Due to the broken navicular bone in his foot, he was not able to play in the 2014-2015 NBA season.
7. In 2018, he started dating de Paula.
8. In 2023, he married de Paula.
9. He represented France in the men’s 5×5 basketball tournament at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
10. On March 16, 2025, he turned 31.

TIMELINE

Joel is 7’0″ tall. He is fluent in Basaa, French and English.

2010s

• In November 2012, he committed the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas. He attended the university for one year.
• On June 26, 2014, the Philadelphia 76ers selected him with the third overall pick at the 2014 NBA draft in Brooklyn, New York, USA.
• On August 26, 2014, he signed his rookie scale contract with the team.
• In August 2015, he underwent a second round of surgery on his right foot.
• On October 4, 2016, he started at center in the Philadelphia 76ers’ first preseason game against the Boston Celtics.
• On March 24, 2017, he underwent successful minor arthroscopic surgery to address the meniscus tear in his left knee.
• On October 10, 2017, he signed a five-year, $148 million designated rookie scale maximum contract extension with the Philadelphia 76ers.
• On January 18, 2018, he was named a starter for the 2018 NBA All-Star Game.
• On October 31, 2019, he was suspended for two games without pay due to an altercation with Karl-Anthony Towns during a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

2020s

• On September 16, 2020, de Paula gave birth to their son.
• On June 8, 2021, he was runner-up to 2020-2021 NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic. On August 17, 2021, he signed a four-year, $196 million extension with the Philadelphia 76ers.
• On May 30, 2022, he underwent right thumb surgery and a procedure on his left index finger. In July 2022, he was granted citizenship by France.
• In September 2022, he became a U.S. citizen.
• On May 2, 2023, he was named the 2022-2023 NBA Most Valuable Player.
• On July 22, 2023, he and de Paula got married in Southampton, New York.
• On September 20, 2024, he and the Philadelphia 76ers signed a multi-year contract extension worth $192.9 million.
• On April 11, 2025, he underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.