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Feb. 5 (UPI) -- Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid will have surgery on his injured left knee and will be out indefinitely, the team announced. The 76ers announced the plan for surgery Sunday night. They said that Embiid will undergo a "corrective procedure this week" to address the issue in his lateral meniscus. An update, potentially detailing his timeline for return, will be provided after the operation.
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Embiid, the reigning NBA MVP, averaged a league- and career-high 35.3 points per game through 34 starts this season. He averaged 11.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.1 steals per game in those appearances.
The 7-foot center also led the NBA in scoring in 2021 and 2022.
Embiid scored a career-high 70 points in a Jan. 22 win over the San Antonio Spurs. He was injured two games later, leaving in the fourth quarter of the 76ers' 119-107 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday in San Francisco.
He missed the last two games.
Embiid's knee injury and surgery cast serious doubt about his availability for the Feb. 18 NBA All-Star Game. The 2023-24 MVP candidate was named an Eastern Conference starter last week.
The 76ers (30-18), who went 4-10 in 14 games without Embiid this season, lost five of their last six and sit in fifth place in the Eastern Conference. They will host the Dallas Mavericks (28-23) at 7 p.m. EST Monday in Philadelphia.
