Joel Embiid returned from injury ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers‘ highly anticipated playoff rematch against the New York Knicks on Tuesday night. New York would ultimately prevail 111-99.

The former MVP labored through the first half, failing to connect on any of his three field goals. His lack of aggression prompted Shaquille O’Neal to cast a bold forecast for the 76ers star.

“I say that respectfully, Joel Embiid will never win a championship until he gets his mind and his attitude right,” the TNT analyst said during the network’s halftime show.

O’Neal had plenty of criticism for Embiid as the 76ers trailed 54-50 at halftime. The 76ers star missed the first nine games of the 2024-25 NBA regular season with what the team called “left knee management.”

“[Embiid] announces arrogantly, ‘I’m not playing back-to-backs..I’m not injured but I’m sore, I come back when I want to come back…When you say things like that, you’re supposed to come back with extra energy,” O’Neal continued.

“Zero for three? I would have been zero for fifteen… you might have said Shaq’s not playing well, but he’s playing [aggressively]. The plan that they have [for] him, it’s not working.”

Embiid had surgery in February to repair a torn meniscus in his knee. He managed to recover just in time for the 2024 playoffs.

Joel Embiid vs Knicks

Joel Embiid connected on just two of his 11 shots against the Knicks on Tuesday ( 

Image:

Getty Images)

Embiid’s 76ers were eliminated by six games in the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs in arguably the series of the postseason. Despite having accused seven All-Star births, five All-NBA nods, and a league MVP, Embiid has failed to reach the Eastern Conference Finals.

He would finish with 13 points in 26 minutes against the Knicks on Tuesday, converting just two of 13 field goal attempts. Expectations were high in Philadelphia this offseason after the team signed nine-time All-Star Paul George to a four-year, $212 million contract and retained rising phenom Tyrese Maxey on a five-year, $204 million deal.

The 76ers face an uphill climb back into contention in the Eastern Conference. Their schedule doesn’t get any easier: the 2-8 76ers will host the 12-0 Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.

The win sees the Knicks climb to 5-5 as the team continues to hover around .500 despite major offseason changes.