Anyone who watches the NBA knows that star center Joel Embiid tends to go down several times per game.
Although he is listed at 6’4″ and 280 lbs, the former MVP can seem like a feather in the wind when he just grazes.
This exaggeration is often referred to as “flopping,” and there’s no denying that Embiid is one of the league’s best actors. But the MVP revealed back in 2019 that it was actually a doctor’s order to fall when he was headed for an awkward landing.
This is why Embiid falls so often.
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Why does Joel Embiid keep falling?
Embiid is one of the tallest players in the NBA, but he ends up on the court more often than most.
It’s always a wince-inducing moment when Embiid falls, and you hope the star center gets back on his feet in one piece. Most assume Embiid is simply limping. Sometimes that may be the case, but other times he’s following a doctor’s orders to limit the amount of weight he puts on his legs to avoid injury.
“I learned that during my rehab when I had my foot injury in 2014 and was looking for ways to limit the stress on my body,” Embiid told ESPN’s Chris Herring in 2019.
“I’ve been told that any time I feel like I’m in a situation where my leg is under extreme stress, I need to dive down or just roll to the ground. That’s why I do that.
“I know there are fans out there that every time I fall they’re like, ‘No!’ but that’s why I do it,” Embiid continued. “The specialists for my foot told me to do it.”
The reasoning is certainly understandable. Embiid has struggled with foot and knee injuries throughout his career, so it’s smart not to put 280 pounds on a single leg to stay as healthy as possible.
We saw a prime example of this in the US national team’s semifinal victory over Serbia at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, when Embiid pulled off a huge dunk but immediately hit the ground as if he had slipped off the rim.
still wondering why Embiid threw himself on the ground like that after that dunk ðŸ˜ðŸ˜
pic.twitter.com/RNHhirHzLO— Michael Doleac (@3MWD__) 9 August 2024
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Embiid immediately got back on his feet after the fall and delivered a very effective fourth quarter that helped the USA to a comeback victory.
Embiid’s falls may not be particularly elegant, but they are designed to protect him from injury.
