Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid’s showing on Saturday also featured a small but meaningful milestone: his first dunk of the season.
According to ESPN reporter Tim Bontemps, that moment hinted that the soreness in his right knee might finally be easing.
While Embiid himself brushed it off as nothing special, the reaction inside the locker room told a different story.
Tyrese Maxey, in particular, couldn’t hide his excitement. He explained that seeing the center get up like that caught him off guard and even made him rethink how he’d been playing moments earlier.
Maxey joked that he had assumed a dunk wasn’t on the table yet, which led him to make a safer pass instead of throwing the ball up high.
After that slam, though, the message from Embiid was clear: don’t hold back anymore.
Maxey laughed about now being expected to toss lobs his way, adding that the next attempt would be the real test of how things go from here.
Sixers Notes: Healthy Starters, Embiid, Maxey, Edgecombe https://t.co/DzxcszQNN5 pic.twitter.com/NgRWrcnuim
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) January 5, 2026
