Joel Embiid spent part of his offseason in familiar territory, taking in the 2026 MLB All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park as Philadelphia hosted the event. Cameras caught the 76ers star in the stands while the American League All-Stars rolled past the National League All-Stars, 4-0.
For a player who has become one of the city’s biggest sports figures, it was another reminder that Embiid keeps close tabs on Philadelphia’s teams. He’s never been shy about where his loyalties lie, and this one probably wasn’t much fun for him to watch with Phillies stars Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, and Christopher Sanchez on the losing side at home.
The timing also comes with plenty of intrigue for Embiid and the 76ers. He is 32 now and has slipped quite a bit from the peak version of himself Philadelphia saw in 2023, but the franchise’s new brain trust led by Mike Gansey has tried to give him more help. The big move was bringing in Jaylen Brown to join Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, a pairing the team hopes will lighten Embiid’s load over the regular season.
The Process made his way to the Midsummer Classic 😎🍭 pic.twitter.com/x4axP1yZNN
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) July 15, 2026
That kind of swing fits the way the 76ers have operated for much of Embiid’s run in Philadelphia. They’ve spent the last decade or so hovering around contender status, always dangerous if the pieces fall into place. Brown could be the one who changes that equation, especially after a season in which he finished sixth in MVP voting while carrying the shorthanded Boston Celtics.
The Phillies, meanwhile, know the feeling of getting close without finishing the job. They pushed all the way to the 2022 World Series before falling to the Houston Astros, and since then they’ve kept running into postseason disappointment.
For now, though, Philadelphia can at least point to one championship banner in the city. The Eagles won the Super Bowl in 2025.
In Other News...
Kevin Durant Just Put A Powerful Label On The New-Look Sixers
Kevin Durant was in Philadelphia for the MLB All-Star event, and he had a pretty clear read on the 76ers new direction after their trade for Jaylen Brown. Durant described the revamped roster as dangerous, a label that carries some weight coming from a player who has spent years sizing up contenders from every angle. He also sounded genuinely upbeat about Brown getting a fresh start in a city that tends to make its feelings known one way or the other.
Durants comments fit the moment around the Sixers, who are trying to turn a major roster swing into something that looks more than just bold on paper. He also took a detour into the broader league conversation when asked about LeBron James free agency, saying he had no idea where James would land while acknowledging the Lakers star will keep producing at a high level. For Philadelphia, though, the more immediate takeaway was Durants belief that this new version of the team has real bite, and that the fan base will be right there to amplify it. [Read more 🡒]
Draymond Green Just Sent Sixers Fans A Message They Needed
Draymond Green took aim at a familiar NBA talking point this week, pushing back on the idea that different off-court lives automatically mean there is real friction between teammates. His point was simple enough for Philadelphia fans to understand: chemistry is not always built on constant contact away from the floor, and players can operate in the same locker room without being close friends.
For a Sixers team that has lived through its own share of relationship drama, the reminder landed in a place that probably felt familiar. Green pointed to the Joel Embiid-Ben Simmons era as an example of how off-court differences can become a Philadelphia storyline without fully defining what happens in games, and he also used his long-running bond with Stephen Curry to show that even elite teammates do not need to spend every summer in each others pockets to make it work. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Suddenly Pulled Into A Joel Embiid Debate They Cannot Ignore
The Joel Embiid conversation has a way of pulling other teams into the frame, and Atlanta is the latest to get dragged into the exercise. Any serious look at a deal involving the 76ers star starts with the same uncomfortable backdrop: the injuries have piled up, the contract is massive, and the question is no longer just what Embiid can still give Philadelphia, but how long the team can keep betting on his body holding up.
For the Hawks, the appeal is obvious enough to make the debate unavoidable. A proposal built around Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher and Corey Kispert would ask Atlanta to part with defense, upside and shooting in one swing, while taking on the kind of star power that can reshape a franchise in an instant. It is the sort of hypothetical that forces both front offices to weigh present value against future flexibility, even if the real answer remains tucked behind the speculation. [Read more 🡒]