The last time Joel Embiid came to the UAE capital, he went home to his wife and told her, “I think we should move to Abu Dhabi”.
The NBA star was in town with Team USA for a training camp and some exhibition games last summer ahead of the Paris Olympics and got a taste of what the city has to offer.
“I went to the Yas Marina. I'm a big Formula One fan, so just being around the circuit was great. I saw some of the car collections from someone that I know here. So, masha’Allah,” Embiid told reporters in Abu Dhabi this week.
The Cameroonian-American centre is back in the capital, this time with the Philadelphia 76ers, who lost the first of two pre-season games against the New York Knicks at Etihad Arena on Thursday.
Embiid did not suit up for Game 1, as he continues to recover from left knee surgery he underwent in April, but he has taken part in practice and appears to be in good spirits during this training camp in Abu Dhabi.
Whether he is dancing during practice, or trolling a British content creator by suggesting England will “choke again” at next summer’s Fifa World Cup, Embiid seems upbeat and ready to launch yet another comeback from injury.
“I'm good. Getting there. Obviously taking it day by day. We got a couple boxes to check. Everything's going well so far. We're just going to take that approach,” he said on Wednesday.
The former NBA MVP has had a rough time with injuries over the past couple of seasons, during which he’s been “all over the place mentally”.
But with his recovery on track – with no set timeline for his competitive return – and a positive mindset, Embiid says he is able to find motivation to keep going.
“It's tough. I've had, compared to most NBA players, my story has been a little different,” said the Olympic gold medallist.
“A lot of injuries. Unfortunately, a lot of times, at the wrong time; play-offs is what really matters. But you can't give up. You've got to get up and keep going.
“The fact that I've had so many of them, I wouldn't say it's become easy to just get back up, but it's almost like a mentality.
“Obviously, family is big for me. At this point in my career, that's what I do it for; my kids, my family. I've already accomplished a lot of things. There's only one thing missing [a championship]. That's probably the only thing that I care about. But yeah, family is big for me.”
Embiid, 31, played just 19 of 82 regular season games last year and the Sixers, missing several of their top players due to injury, failed to make the play-offs.
Time will tell if their luck will finally turn but Embiid isn’t thinking about it that way.
“You can't have that mentality to just expect it to happen and hope that at some point luck is going to change,” he says.
“The way I feel is, I'm already extremely lucky anyways. Growing up, I started playing at 16, so I never thought I would be, whether sitting here or playing basketball or being in the NBA, or have a career like I have. So I already feel blessed anyway.
“So to me, the way I'm going on about my career is, whatever happens, happens. Just trust in God and take care of your business.”
The Sixers have brought in some young talent to bolster their roster, including VJ Edgecombe, the team's third overall pick during the 2025 NBA draft. Edgecombe top-scored for Philadelphia in Game 1 against the Knicks on Thursday (alongside Tyrese Maxey) with 14 points, six rebounds and three assists.
Embiid has spent time talking to Edgecombe and other young players on the team, hoping to impart some wisdom and help them navigate their transition to the NBA.
“I didn't make any mistakes,” jokes Embiid. “No, I think I've seen a lot. When I talk about it, it's not just about me. If you know the history of the Sixers, we've dealt with a lot. Whether it's a bunch of trade requests, injuries, there's been a lot that's happened.
“I've seen people make a lot of mistakes. I'm not perfect. I made some mistakes too. But you learn. I don't want to get too much into that because that's between me and the guys when we have those conversations and when I'm trying to give them advice. But there's a lot of stuff that I've been through that I've seen that I can help with, especially with the young players.”
Edgecombe was pleased with his NBA pre-season debut and described it as a “dream come true”. The 20-year-old Baylor alum is trying to soak up as much as he can from Embiid and the other veterans on the team, and is feeling confident heading into his first NBA season.
“Having PG [Paul George], Joel, all of them around. I mean, they're superstars in the league. That's something I want to be when I get there,” said Edgecombe after the game on Thursday.
“Obviously, it's going to take time, working hard, all that stuff. So, yeah, I just try to pick their brain a lot. I ask questions, what they see on the floor. They have a different perspective from me. This is my first ever NBA game. They played more than eight seasons. So, yeah, I just try to learn from them a lot.”
Meanwhile, the New York Knicks played their first game under their new coach Mike Brown and handed Philadelphia a 99-84 defeat.
“Our guys did a pretty good job with their pace, but we have to play faster,” said Brown.
“And we can play faster, but this is the first time that we've seen another coloured jersey. And so at times, we looked a little confused, a lot of times, but we will be better. It was great because our guys got a taste of how fast that we need to play, and they know we still have to take it three to four more notches.”
The fourth edition of the NBA Abu Dhabi Games will wrap up with Game 2, which is scheduled to tip off at 7pm on Saturday at Yas Island’s Etihad Arena.
