Former MVP Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has come under fire from a pair of Hall of Famers following a rocky start to the 2025-26 NBA season. Over just four healthy games, Embiid has logged a limited 22.1 minutes per contest, averaging 17.3 points on .460/.389/.800 shooting splits, along with 5.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.0 blocks per game.
During a recent episode of his show *KG Certified*, Hall of Fame former Minnesota Timberwolves and Boston Celtics power forward Kevin Garnett, alongside his Hall of Fame former Boston Celtics teammate Paul Pierce, criticized Embiid’s lackluster play.
“We just had a summer. What did you do this summer, bro? What did you do this summer? Man, c’mon, bro. I don’t want to hear this,” Garnett said, addressing Embiid’s explanation that he is still recovering from knee surgery and playing under a strict minutes restriction. “I didn’t think Joel looked as polished as we’ve seen him, man. He looked like he’s still hurting. He didn’t look smooth, P. What did he look like in real life?”
Pierce, who attended Boston’s season opener against Philadelphia, also weighed in. “It looked like he wasn’t as strong as he was a year ago. It looks like he’s still trying to get his legs under him, because I noticed he settled a lot from 3-point range and settled for his jumper rather than driving inside the paint,” Pierce said.
“Coming off offseason surgery is tough. He’s had numerous surgeries, so like I said, I’m not going to make a judgment on who’s been MVP in this league until about 25 games into the season, because at that point, you really see who you are and who you’re going to be for the rest of the season.”
The 76ers began their season with a promising four-game winning streak but have since fallen to a solid 5-3 record after dropping their last two games. Injured Philadelphia standouts Paul George and Jared McCain, both expected to be key contributors this season, have yet to take the court. Their eventual return could help address depth concerns.
Meanwhile, Embiid has been resting his left knee sporadically to manage his recovery.
*More news: [Joel Embiid Calls Out 76ers’ Minutes Restriction Management](#)*
*More news: [76ers’ Joel Embiid Punished for ‘Lewd Gesture’ vs Celtics](#)*
https://www.newsweek.com/sports/nba/76ers-joel-embiid-slammed-by-nba-hall-of-famers-11013352
